A Different World
by theyaremagicallydelicious
Summary: My take on Harry's 5th year. Full of quidditch, romance, and unfortunately Voldemort. Harry trys to deal with the normal pangs of adolescence along with his own unique problems. R/H and H/G *FINISHED*
1. Home

AN: This story will depict Harry's 5th year at Hogwarts. There will be more action/adventure/romance (As far as romance goes this story will be strictly R/H and I might throw in a little H/G later on in the story) in future chapters. I just had to set the tone of the story in this chapter. I will try to update at least once a week. Please Read and Review!  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing!  
  
Chapter 1: Home  
  
Harry awoke at roughly nine on Sunday morning to a tapping on the window. He fumbled for his glasses on his nightstand and sat up in his bed, looking around with a look of bewilderment. A ruffled looking barn owl was attempting to get Harry's attention by flying around in circles around his head. "Okay, Okay….just give me a minute." He pulled out a small bag where he kept his gold galleons, silver sickles, and bronze knuts. He pulled out 5 of the little bronze coins and carefully set them into the leather pouch tied to the owl's leg and pulled off his copy of the Daily Prophet.  
  
With Voldemort back it had seemed like a good idea to keep up with the Wizard World during the summers. Though this was the main reason he had decided to take out a subscription, he secretly enjoyed the quidditch more than the boring headlines on the front page. He was happy the headlines were boring. This meant that there were no deaths and crimes by death eaters to report, but Harry suspected that Fudge was trying to cover the whole thing up. Once in awhile he saw an article titled "Freak Accident Kills Muggle-Born Family". The first time he had seen one such article he had sent a letter to Ron and his suspicions had been confirmed by Mr. Weasley. Fudge was attempting to pretend that Voldemort had not returned.  
  
This summer with his relatives was just about as fun as the past ones. The Dursleys ignored his very existence and Dudley backed away from him in fright. Sometimes Harry would pass away the time by thinking about Ron and Hermione and all the good times they had had at Hogwarts. Inevitably, though, his thoughts would turn to the previous year and when they did he pushed these thoughts as far in the back of his mind as they would go, repeating the phrase Hagrid had said last year which was almost becoming his motto: What would come would come and he would just have to meet it when it did. Harry was interrupted from his reverie by an owl, this time carrying a letter from Ron. He opened the letter eagerly hoping Ron was telling him he was finally allowed to come to the Burrow. It read:  
  
Harry,  
  
Good news! Dumbledore has finally given us permission to bring you to the Burrow. I know there are only 2 weeks left until school starts, but at least its something. Hermione is coming as well. I'm surprised she found time for us when she's been gallivanting halfway across the world to see someone she barely knows. Anyways, we'll come to pick you up Sunday at 11.30 am. Don't worry we are coming in a car this time so the muggles don't flip. See you soon  
  
Ron  
  
Ps. Have you heard from Snuffles lately?  
  
  
  
Harry picked up a quill and a bottle of ink and began writing a reply to Ron though he wasn't sure Ron would get it before Harry was at the burrow anyway. He confirmed the time that he was to be extracted from the Dursleys, and told Ron of the few short, hurried letters he had received from Sirius basically just saying that he was alive and well. Harry was tempted to add to the letter that Hermione had only been with Viktor for a day or two and what was the problem with that, but decided that teasing wasn't worth fighting with Ron.  
  
After sending his letter along with Pig, Harry took a shower and then proceeded downstairs to get some breakfast. His Uncle Vernon was sitting at the breakfast table reading the newspaper, while Aunt Petunia passed out cantaloupe slices (Dudley was still on his diet). Harry's pudgy cousin, who still took up a whole side of the kitchen table, had his eyes on the TV. Harry sat down silently and ate his cantaloupe without complaint. He figured he would have to tell his aunt and uncle that the Weasley's were coming or they would be even angrier than usual. "Er…..Uncle Vernon?" Harry questioned timidly.  
  
"What do you want, boy?" His uncle spat.  
  
"I just wanted to let you know that the Weasley's are coming to pick me up at 11:30 today, but they'll definitely be coming in a car."  
  
"Damn right they will be. I don't want any of that abnormality being displayed in my house." Uncle Vernon shouted and pounded his fist on the table. "Make sure they act civil this time. And Dudley?" Dudley tore his eyes away from the TV screen to look up at his father. "You will up in your bedroom when those….those……freaks come to get him." He jerked a finger towards Harry. Dudley nodded his head meekly remembering his latest encounter with wizards.  
  
The grandfather clock in the living room rang 11 times. Harry ran up to his room to do some last minute packing. He threw his invisibility cloak, penknife, and Firebolt in his trunk (he had never received the marauder's map back from when he lent it to Moody) and proceeded to drag it downstairs towards the door. Harry raced back upstairs again grabbed Hedwig and set her cage on his trunk awaiting the arrival of the Weasleys. Fifteen minutes later he heard a knock at the door. He leaped up, opened the door and was greeted with the sight of two redheaded people. "Hi Mr. Weasley. Hey Ron."  
  
"Hey Harry! Got your stuff ready?" Ron asked quickly while Mr. Weasley eyed the TV set excitedly. He took a step towards the TV and the Dursleys backed away nervously.  
  
"Yeah my stuff is right here." Harry said pointing to his trunk and Hedwig in the corner or the room. Ron helped him carry the trunk and Mr. Weasley grabbed Hedwig and they hurriedly set out towards the car all the while getting a disapproving glare from Uncle Vernon.  
  
"So how's your summer been going, Harry? Mr. Weasley inquired lightheartedly.  
  
"It's been alright. Thank you for inviting me to the Burrow. I've looked forward to coming here all summer." Harry replied. Ron snorted, perhaps because his words had sounded so much like Hermione's. "Where are Fred and George?" He asked remembering that they were usually present when he was picked up from the Dursleys.  
  
"Mum wouldn't let them come." Ron said with a grin. "Something about 'torturing that muggle boy last year, I can't believe you two'" Ron mocked with an uncanny impersonation of Mrs. Weasley. Harry let out a chuckle remembering the ton-tongue toffee.  
  
The rest of the drive was monotonous, Mr. Weasley made small talk and Ron and Harry laughed at the stories from his own school days.  
  
When they arrived at the Burrow, they found Hermione there waiting for them.  
  
"My parents dropped me off while you were getting Harry." She said pointedly to Ron. "It's so good to see you guys!" She then proceeded to give them each an enthusiastic hug and Harry couldn't help but notice the way the tips of Ron's ears turned red whenever Hermione let go of him. Harry smiled at his two best friends. Finally, he was home. 


	2. The Meeting

AN: VyingQuill, thanks for my first review! And that should be a word! LOL Sometime I just invent words that I think should exist. Anyways, the story picks up a little here, but the real actions starts when they get to Hogwarts. Please Read and Review!  
  
Disclaimer: I Own Nothing  
  
  
  
Chapter 2: The Meeting  
  
Harry woke up in the guest bed in Ron's room. He blinked tiredly and put on his glasses. He then heard the voice that had awoken him. "Boys! Get down here! We have a lot to get done today." Mrs. Weasleys voice rang through the house. Ron groaned from the bed next to him and sat up. The last week and a half had been rather uneventful, but fun. Harry had spent his days with all of the Weasley boys playing quidditch and even Ginny had played. Harry was genuinely impressed with her skills as a keeper and told her so the first time he saw her play. She had looked down at her shoes nervously, but had actually thanked him. Harry could only remember a few times she had spoken to him and he was glad that she seemed to becoming a little less nervous when in his presence. He was jerked out of his reverie by Mrs. Weasleys voice again. "Boys! You better be down here in five minutes."  
  
Harry and Ron threw their clothes on and ran downstairs. Mrs. Weasley gave them a disapproving glare when they walked into the kitchen. "Ron, I told you we were going to Diagon Alley today. I think you could do a little better to hurry up." Harry knew this speech was probably meant for him too, but Mrs. Weasley would never yell at one of her guests. Ron nodded sheepishly, but when Mrs. Weasley turned back to the bacon in the frying pan he rolled his eyes. Harry and Ron sat down at the kitchen table with the rest of the family and Hermione.  
  
After eating breakfast they were all ushered towards the fireplace in the living room. "Do you all have your letters?" Mrs. Weasley questioned.  
  
"Yes, mum." Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny said simultaneously. Harry felt in his own pocket to make sure his was there. He remembered with a smile the previous day in which their letters had arrived. Hermione had shouted at once that she had been made a prefect and seemed genuinely shocked that it had happened to her.  
  
"Oh my…I can't believe this! Being a prefect is such an honor." She had gone on like that for a while muttering about what a great responsibility it was and hoping she would do the job well. She had been jerked out of her rambling by Ron's laughter, which had been going on since she had voiced her surprise, but she had just seemed to notice it. "What are you laughing at?" She had asked him icily.  
  
He had chuckled for a few minutes and then seeing the irritated look on her face forced back more snickers and decided to answer. "You really didn't see it coming?" Harry hoped that they would not start to fight with each other already. They had managed to avoid topics such as Bulgaria and Viktor Krum thus far, but they had fought in the past about the smallest things…like rules and prefects and such.  
  
To his surprise, Hermione had actually smiled at Ron and there ended the conversation about prefects. Ron had shot him a puzzled look, but Harry had just shrugged. Perhaps she had been too happy about being made a prefect for her spirits to be broken by Ron's teasing.  
  
Mrs. Weasley handed the Harry the little jar of floo powder. He took a pinch, threw it and himself into the fire, and roared "Diagon Alley!" Soon he was standing beside Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny. Hermione came after him and finally Mrs. Weasley.  
  
After they had retrieved their money from Gringotts, they proceeded to split up to go get their things. "Well its noon now, so I'll meet you all back at Flourish and Blotts at one thirty to get your books. And not a minute later." Mrs. Weasley said sternly. Fred and George started walking towards Quality Quidditch Supplies. Harry and Ron wanted to go to there as well, but Hermione said she needed to replenish her potion ingredients, so they headed in the other direction towards the Apothecary.  
  
They then made there way towards Madam Malkin's. Ron, who had grown even taller over the summer, was now bigger than his brothers had been and needed new robes. Harry had been curious as to how the Weasleys were affording all these things. If they needed any money he would gladly help them out.  
  
Ron actually answered Harry's silent question. "You guys wouldn't believe what happened over the summer. Fred and George confessed to Mum that they had been selling all that joke stuff at school. Said since they were making money they ought to contribute money to the family too. Then they gave Mum a hundred galleons! A hundred! Can you believe that? I guess they were selling a lot of stuff or something. Mum didn't even care that they had disobeyed her. She went nutters though, crying and hugging them and telling them that they could pursue whatever ambitions they had. Said she was sorry that she had tried to push them into a career they didn't want. Can you believe that?" Harry smiled. At least he had helped the Weasleys in some way, if they wouldn't let him directly repay them for all they had done for him.  
  
"So where too now?" Harry asked innocently, eagerly hoping that no one had anywhere to go so he could check out Quality Quidditch Supplies.  
  
"Erm….I don't know. I think I have everything I need except for my books." Hermione replied.  
  
"Me too." Said Ron. So they took off towards the quidditch store. The first thing they saw upon arrival was a broomstick that made Harry's jaw fall open. It was beautiful. It looked to have the same sort of shape as his Firebolt, as sleek and aerodynamic as they come. The twigs at the end stuck out neat and straight, each one the exact same length as the next. The polished handle shone with brightness and Harry could almost feel himself drooling. He read the sign above the broomstick.  
  
THE THUNDERBOLT: SEQUEL TO THE FIREBOLT  
  
Nearly twice as fast as its predecessor  
  
  
  
"Wow!" Was all Ron could mutter. Harry didn't get too excited though. If it was nearly twice as fast as his Firebolt, he could bet it would probably be twice the price too. His broom was an excellent one and it had not failed him once. Still it was an awesome sight. A few minutes later Hermione finally dragged them away from the broom, as it was time to meet Mrs. Weasley at Flourish and Blotts.  
  
Harry took out his booklist and perused the shelves of the bookstore in search of the right titles. He needed The Standard Book of Spells Grade 5, An Advanced Guide to Transfiguration, The O.W.L. Prep Guide: Ace Your Exams and 1,000 MORE Magical Herbs and Fungi.  
  
After everyone had gotten the books they needed, The Weasley clan, Harry, and Hermione headed home. At arrival of the house, Harry was surprised to see a group of wizards huddled in the next room. He attempted to get nearer for a closer look at who they were when he was held back by a tug on his collar. "Harry get out of the house. Ron, Ginny, Hermione, Fred, George you too. All children out. Go down to the pond. I've packed you a picnic basket. I don't mean to be rude, but this is important." Mr. Weasley's voice pierced the silence of the room.  
  
Before exiting the house, Harry caught sight of a glint of a silver beard. He was sure it was Dumbledore's.  
  
"What was that all about?" Hermione asked; voicing the question Harry had been about to ask himself.  
  
"Don't really know." Fred answered. "This is the third time this had happened this summer. A bunch of wizards come to our house. We're kicked out with a picnic basket and told to go the pond. Probably some sort of secret meeting."  
  
Harry puzzled over these words. Why were Dumbledore and a bunch of other wizards at the Weasleys? What were they talking about at this secret meeting? Hi first thought went to Voldemort. Why else would these meetings be held in secret? Harry, Ron and Hermione and the rest of the Weasley kids had put in so much energy in the fight against the dark side so why did everyone, even Dumbledore, want to keep them clueless about what was going on? 


	3. The Defense Against the Dark Arts Teache...

AN: The story picks up a little here. Hopefully every chapter can include a little more action/adventure/romance. Please Review!  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing!  
  
Chapter 3: The Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher  
  
When Harry went down to the kitchen the morning they were to go to Hogwarts, the Weasley house was in mayhem. Fred and George could be heard trying to persuade Ginny to try one of their new products. Harry thought they were pushing it just a tad, as Ginny was far too old to fall for any explanation they could come up with. Ron, who was not yet packed, was hurriedly trying to get the job done before his mother found out. Mrs. Weasley was yelling at everyone to hurry up or they would most surely be late. The only one not bustling around the house was Hermione. Harry was not surprised to see this as she was very well organized and she probably had devised herself some sort of checklist the night before.  
  
Harry grabbed a piece of toast and joined Hermione at the kitchen table. He too, was ready and for once had not procrastinated. Hermione was reading the Daily Prophet; her eyes had a saddened look to them. "What's Wrong?" Harry inquired her, not really sure if anything was wrong, but he figured he should ask just the same.  
  
"Huh? Oh…its just another muggle family with a wizard child was killed." Harry could see worry etched on her face. "The Prophet says their house fell in a sinkhole that formed due to excess amounts of rain, but really there are a number of spells that even a first year could perform to get out a sinkhole and this kid was our age! Fudge is doing a bad job of covering this up." She shook her head with a sigh and Harry wondered if maybe she was concerned about her own family.  
  
"What school did he go to? The kid I mean." Harry asked her.  
  
Hermione looked up, perhaps a little surprised about the question. "Well, it says in the article that he went to Durmstrang." She said slowly as if not wanting to say the name of the school at all.  
  
"I wonder if Krum knew him." Harry thought out loud. At that moment Ron walked into the room.  
  
"What are you talking about that bloody idiot for?" Ron asked. He was questioning Harry, but he glared at Hermione as he spoke. Hermione chose not to comment on his description of Krum, instead feeling contented to roll her eyes and let Harry explain.  
  
"Some kid and his family were killed by death eaters. The kid went to Durmstrang and I was just wondering of Krum knew him." Harry clarified. Ron just shrugged his shoulders while buttering a piece of toast and did not give any further enlightenment on what qualities made Viktor Krum such a bloody idiot.  
  
A half hour later, the Weasleys, Harry and Hermione were packed into a ministry car that had been lent to Mr. Weasley for the day. For once, they were on time and had no trouble getting to King's Cross before the train left its post. One by one they went through the barrier to get to Platform 9 ¾. "You all be careful now. And I don't want any trouble from either of you." Mrs. Weasley warned pointing a finger at Fred and George.  
  
"Who us?" Fred said sounding shocked pointing to himself and his twin. "The year hasn't even started yet and you're already scolding us!"  
  
"Yes, well if you cause half as much trouble as you have the other 6 years of your education then I'm sure that scolding will be well deserved." Mrs. Weasley shot back at her son trying to sound irritated, but a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. She kissed each one of her children in turn, then Hermione and finally Harry. He and Hermione thanked Mrs. Weasley for letting them stay.  
  
"Oh its no trouble at all dears. Its them who should be thanking me for letting them stay." She told them jerking a finger at her own children.  
  
Harry, Ron, and Hermione were able to get a train compartment to themselves. "Oh I've just remembered!" Hermione shouted a few minutes into the train ride. "I have to sit with the prefects for a little bit. I think its just for orientation and information about our responsibilities." With that she disappeared from the compartment.  
  
"Wonder who the other Gryffindor prefect is?" Ron questioned Harry.  
  
"Dunno. Seamus or Dean." Harry and Ron thought about this for a second.  
  
"Dean." They both said simultaneously. Seamus was infamous for blowing things up when attempting any sort of spell and often "forgot" to do homework. Therefore it was rather unlikely that he was chosen as a prefect. Harry and Ron made small talk as the train sped closer to Hogwarts, discussing quidditch, chess, and the secret meetings that the Weasleys had been hosting over the summer.  
  
"You think the meeting was about You Know Who?" Ron asked eyes wide, when Harry told him what he thought these meetings were about. "I reckon that has to be what they're about or why else would they go through that much trouble to keep them secret?" As they had no real information on the meetings, the topic didn't last long. Soon Hermione once again entered their compartment, this time holding a rather thick looking packet. If Harry had been given a packet of that stature he probably wouldn't be wearing the wide smile that was now plastered on Hermione's face.  
  
"Oh this is just so great! We have so much responsibility!" She exclaimed with relish as though one could never have too many responsibilities or rules to follow. Ron raised his eyebrows at Harry, but chose not to comment.  
  
"Anything from the cart dearies?" The plump witch with the food cart arrived in their compartment thankfully interrupting Hermione's ramblings about prefect duties. Harry purchased a large stack of chocolate frogs and the three were content to talk and eat amongst themselves as the scarlet train snaked its way through the countryside.  
  
Upon arrival at Hogwarts, Harry, Ron and Hermione took their seats at the Gryffindor table. Professor McGonagall set the Sorting Hat on its respective stool and the hat began to sing:  
  
Four Founders of great wisdom, started this school together  
  
By first enchanting the great hall sky to display all sorts of weather  
  
They then handpicked their students that they wanted to train  
  
With the traits that they valued as part of a students brain  
  
Salazar Slytherin liked those who had a thirst for power and control  
  
Some say those Slytherins have so much ambition they lack a compassionate soul  
  
Helga Hufflepuff prized those that always tried their best  
  
She liked the diligent ones, who never took a rest  
  
Godric Gryffindor cherished students who were courageous and bold  
  
He also valued heroics, daring and nerve or so I was told  
  
Rowena Ravenclaw respected those who were intelligent and smart  
  
Their skills at wit and learning set Ravenclaws apart  
  
So go ahead and put me on, I'll have a look inside  
  
And find out which house you belong in, based on the qualities in your mind  
  
Harry clapped along with the rest of the Great Hall thinking that the song had been better in previous years. Maybe the hat was running out of ideas. The Sorting began with Alconic, Jake who was deemed the first Gryffindor. Bubbles, Bobby was made the first Slytherin. And so the list went on and on. Harry thought it would never end and was acutely aware of the grumbling in his stomach. He looked wishfully at the plate in front of him, wishing he were the one that made the food appear there. Finally with Zappy, Rachel (RAVENCLAW!) the sorting ended. Harry picked up his silverware staring at the dishes in front of him, but Dumbledore stood up and appeared to want to make some sort of proclamation.  
  
'Welcome new students! I have a few announcements to make. The Forbidden Forest is as its title suggests Forbidden to all students." He began. "The village of Hogsmeade is open only to those in third year or above. Also I would like to welcome our new Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher: Miss Arabella Figg!" And for the first time Harry noticed a new teacher sitting up at the staff table with the rest. She stood up and waved to the student body as polite applause sounded around her. Harry squinted not believing what he had thought he had seen the first time he had taken a glimpse at the new teacher. He looked at her again and his eyes were not deceiving him! It was Mrs. Figg! The neighbor who babysat him at the Dursleys. His jaw dropped open. Ron gave him a weird look.  
  
"What's wrong Harry?" He asked giving Harry an inquisitive look.  
  
"That's the neighbor that used to take care of me at the Dursleys. You know, whenever they were going to do something fun and didn't want me coming along." Harry had two different reactions to this being the same person as his old neighbor. The first was resentment. This lady obviously was a wizard and known him to be a wizard and had never said one word to him about it in the many hours he had spent with her in the confines of her musty home. The second was relief. Harry was not stupid. Arabella Figg did not end up living near him by accident. Maybe this was part of the protection that Dumbledore seemed to constantly feel Harry was under at the Dursleys? Perhaps Miss Figg had been watching Harry making sure no danger ever came to him.  
  
Ron and Hermione looked at him strangely. "Really?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Yeah, that's her." Harry said once again eyeing her at the staff table. His friends shrugged their shoulders not really sure what to make of this and they all started eating the delicious food that had appeared right before their eyes.  
  
That night, Harry lay in bed with a new set of questions to ponder, all surrounding this mysterious woman: Arabella Figg. Maybe she would clue him in when they had their first Defense Against the Dark Arts Class. Harry decided that he needed to take some initiative if he wanted to know what was going on. He had a plan. After their first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson, he would stay after class and have a talk with Miss Figg. Hopefully he would get some answers. 


	4. Some Answers

AN: I know this story hasn't really been much to start out with, but I promise more romance and other things in the next few chapters! Thanks for being patient! Please review!  
  
Chapter 4: Some Answers  
  
Defense Against the Dark Arts classes for the Gryffindor 5th years were held on Tuesdays. Harry walked into the room with Ron and Hermione by his side feeling a little apprehensive about the plan he had formulated. Miss Figg was already in the room when they arrived. They took a seat in the front of the room as Hermione always insisted. Harry took the few minutes they hadbefore class started to examine Miss Figg more closely.  
  
Her dull brown hair was up in a bun, not unlike Professor McGonagalls. He noticed that she was actually pretty young. Perhaps an aging charm had been used on her when she lived on Privet Drive? Harry wasn't sure and added that to his mental list of questions he was planning on asking her. She was wearing robes of plain black, as Harry knew most teachers did, except for Lockhart of course.  
  
He snickered and looked at Hermione at this thought. She, having no idea what he was thinking about, gave him a weird look.  
  
He looked back at Miss Figg. Her arms and legs no longer had that scrawny appearance that they had had every time Harry had seen her in previous years. She actually seemed to be a very strong woman and Harry wondered if she was part of wizard law enforcement in some way. He put all his questions in the back of his mind for later, and listened as Miss Figg began to speak.  
  
"Hello class! As Professor Dumbledore has already informed you, I am Professor Figg." Harry would have to get used to calling her Professor. She was still Mrs. Figg to him. This also confused him. Dumbledore had introduced her as Miss Arabella Figg, but he had always known her as Mrs. Figg. Perhaps another change made to cover things up? "I will be continuing your education of Defense Against the Dark Arts. You will need it now more than ever." She ended dramatically.  
  
They began taking notes on popular curses used by Death Eaters Voldemort's first time around. Everyone knew the Unforgiveables were always used, but there were others as well. They were lesser known, but used to cause death and destruction as great as the Unforgiveables. The Expecto Destructo curse was used to make homes collapse. The flamoian curse would allow you to shoot fire from your wand up to about 20 feet away. Death Eaters used this curse to set their victims or their victim's property on fire. The list went on and on and was composed of some 20 curses. Harry was amazed at the wide variety of magic used for such horrible things and tried to shove the thoughts of people being burned alive to the back of his mind. Soon the class was over, and Harry feeling a little less confident than before, went up to Miss Figg's desk after everyone else had filed out of the room and he had told Ron and Hermione he would catch up with them.  
  
"Er….Mis…Professor Figg?" Harry questioned hoping she wouldn't she just turn him away.  
  
"Ah…Mr. Potter? What can I do for you?" She smiled at him and Harry was positive that she knew exactly what he wanted.  
  
"I want some answers." He stated, surprised at his own abruptness. Professor Figg however did not look surprised or shocked at all.  
  
"Certainly, Mr. Potter." She sat down at her desk and motioned for him to sit in the chair in front of her. He did so and looked up at her. She was obviously waiting for him to speak.  
  
"Why were you my neighbor, at the Dursleys I mean? Why didn't you ever tell me that I was a wizard? Why do you look so different? And why are you here now?" Harry rapidly interrogated Professor Figg, not really giving her a chance to answer each individual question before asking her another one.  
  
"Well, Mr. Potter…to answer all of your questions is quite a long story. I suppose you want to hear it?" Harry nodded motioning for her to continue and she did. "Well you know after your parents died, it was left up to Dumbledore to arrange your future. He chose to leave you in the care of your aunt and uncle so you could grow up away from the fame the wizarding world had provided you with. Along with some ancient enchantments and protection spells, Dumbledore thought it wise to have someone to watch over you. A sort of guardian angel. I was picked to go undercover. I was a new auror at the time. Fresh from the academy and only a few field experiences. Dumbledore supplied me with an aging potion, and told me to adopt a muggle identity. I made myself a Mrs. to live as a widow with cats." She smiled wryly. "Of course you already knew that. I was forbidden to tell you that you were a wizard. Imagine if I had told you about your wizard background when you were 8 years old! You would have wanted to leave the Dursleys at once and you would have wanted answers that I could not have provided for you. There was no other place for you to go. So we just let it go. I know that's not what you want to hear, but it's the truth." She looked at him again, wanting to hear his opinion, wanting him to say something.  
  
Harry was actually amazed that this woman had devoted practically her entire life to watching over him. It was overwhelming. He voiced this thought out loud. "So, your whole life consisted of protecting me?"  
  
She chuckled. "Occasionally I was called upon to do other missions, but I never left Privet Drive for more than a day or two. Your life was my main task."  
  
Harry was in awe. 'What about your personal life? Not to be rude." He added quickly. "But didn't you ever want a family? Why would you give all that up?"  
  
For the first time during their conversation, Professor Figg looked a little downcast. "Yes, well I did want a family with children of my own. My job came first though. Besides! There is still time for that. I am not that old at all, especially by wizarding standards! And I have come to teach here this year because Dumbledore said that you students needed a real Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher now that Voldemort has returned." She once again resumed her cheery disposition.  
  
"Are you part of the resistance, Professor Figg?" Harry was just guessing. He didn't even know if there was a resistance or who would all be in it, but perhaps he could get some information.  
  
"What resistance?" She asked looking confused.  
  
Harry wasn't convinced. This was a skilled auror. She was probably taught how to lie and keep a secret. "The resistance against Voldemort. The resistance that held meetings at the Weasleys house over the summer." He said finally after studying her for a minute.  
  
Professor Figg sighed. "I probably shouldn't be telling you this." She began. "But yes I am." She looked a bit flustered and Harry thought maybe he shouldn't have asked the question in the first place, but when she spoke again she sounded normal. "Well…anything else Mr. Potter?"  
  
Harry thought for a second. It seemed like there had been a lot more too it than that when he had been sorting questions out in his brain. "No that's all." He got up to leave and walked towards the door. "Oh and Professor?"  
  
"Yes Mr. Potter?" She questioned looking up from her desk.  
  
"Thanks." Harry smiled at her and started on his way to the Gryffindor common room.  
  
After he had informed Ron and Hermione of everything, they were quite surprised. Hermione in particular was shocked about the same thing that had stunned Harry.  
  
"This woman watched over you your entire childhood! She protected you and gave up parts of her own life. She was a little like…" Hermione looked down, and seemed to be embarrassed.  
  
"A little like what?" Harry asked, now very curious.  
  
Hermione met his eyes. "well..a little like…. your mother." Harry let his brain process this information and realized with a jolt that she was right. Professor Figg had been there for his childhood days and had given up her life for him…in a different way then his mother had. Hermione was looking at him expectantly. Harry could tell that she was hoping she hadn't upset him.  
  
"Yeah, I guess your right." He muttered.  
  
Ron was amazed that his parents were actively involved in the fight against Voldemort. "I knew that they would do anything in their power to help, but I didn't think they would play this big of a role." He seemed proud that his house was where plans for bringing down Voldemort were being constructed. Harry was still wondering why they had not been allowed in these meetings. Did Dumbledore and everyone else think that they were too young to be mixed up with this even after everything they had did? Harry had a nasty feeling that he was involved with the war against Voldemort whether he liked it or not. 


	5. The Captain and The Keeper

AN: I promise lots more romance in the next chapter! Please review!  
  
Chapter 5: The Captain and The Keeper  
  
Harry carefully wrote Angelina on his small piece of parchment and threw it into the purple bowl with the rest. He was at the first quidditch practice of the year. Well, it wasn't really a practice. It was more like a meeting to discuss who would be captain and keeper tryouts. They had decided to vote on quidditch captain, because it had seemed like the fairest way to do it. Fred finished writing and finally put his parchment in the bowl.  
  
"I'll count the votes!" Alicia shouted. Dramatically she pulled out the first bit of parchment.  
  
"One for Fred!" She exclaimed and reached into the bowl again. "One for Angelina! Let's see here. Another for Angelina! Another For Fred! Angelina and Fred tied with two!" She dipped her hand into the bowl once more bringing out the remaining two votes. "This one is for Katie!" Alicia looked down at the remaining slip of parchment in her hand and very slowly started to unfold it.  
  
"Oh hurry up woman! I would like to designate a captain before the season is over!" Fred yelled anxiously.  
  
Alicia glared at him playfully, but complied and opened up the parchment quickly instead of drawing it out. "Angelina!" She screamed. She jumped up and hugged Angelina as Katie Bell did the same thing.  
  
"Congrats Angelina." Harry told her grinning.  
  
"Thank guys! This is great!" She smiled at the team.  
  
Fred looked a little downcast, but Harry realized this was all part of the show a second later. He went up to Angelina and politely shook her hand. Angelina started snickering like crazy. She slapped her knees and shook with laughter. It took Harry a minute to realize.  
  
"Fred, what did you do?" He questioned, peering down at Angelina who was now rolling on the ground cackling like an idiot.  
  
Fred grinned. "Its Giggle Goop. George and I invented it." He held up a hand smeared with a green cream. "It only lasts for a minute." As if on cue, Angelina abruptly stopped chuckling and rounded on Fred.  
  
"What was that about?" She was attempting to sound angry, but her smile gave her away. She smacked Fred upside the head.  
  
"Hey! What was that for?" He asked innocently. Angelina glared at him playfully.  
  
"How come you weren't laughing?" Harry asked Fred. "It was on your hand too."  
  
Fred looked down at the offending hand. "Oh well, I enchanted one of my gloves to be invisible so it wouldn't give the joke away. Visiblio!" He shouted, pointing his wand at his hand. A homemade glove appeared on his hand. "See?' He smirked at Angelina. "So Cappy, what about them keeper tryouts?"  
  
"Well let me think for a second." She paused. "Let's see today is Thursday so how about we post an announcement in the common room and have tryouts Saturday at…10am." She glanced at the rest of the team. They nodded and there were mutterings of "alright" and "sounds good to me."  
  
Angelina grinned. "Practices will start next week. Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday nights and Saturday mornings." She concluded. They started to make their way to the castle. When they got to Gryffindor, Angelina posted a sheet with all the keeper information. Everyone gathered around to look at it.  
  
Ron and Ginny came over. Ron shrugged and went back to his chess game with Hermione, but Ginny's eyes flashed excitedly. Harry made his way over to Ron and Hermione.  
  
"You gonna try for keeper, Ron? Harry asked him. Ron held up a hand to silence him while he directed his knight to take Hermione's bishop.  
  
"No. I'm not very good at keeper. I play chaser, mainly when we scrimmage at home. Ginny always plays keeper." Harry nodded and sat down to watch the chess game, in which Hermione's pieces were being massacred.  
  
Angelina wanted the whole quidditch team to be present at the tryouts, so they could vote on it. She wanted it to be a team decision. So Harry awoke on Saturday at 9:30, jumped in the shower, and went out onto the quidditch pitch. There were 4 candidates for the keeper position. The first person was a 6th year, Austin LeMarck, who Harry knew by sight, but had never actually spoken too. He was okay, but nothing special. He stopped 5 quaffles out of 10 that Angelina threw at him. The next person was the little first year, Jake Alconic. Remarkably, he did a very good job, and Harry had to admit he was impressed. He stopped 7 of the 10 quaffles thrown at him by Alicia. Seamus was next and he did horrible. He didn't seem too upset that he had only stopped 3 quaffles.  
  
Harry was surprised at the next person in line, and wondered how he hadn't spotted her before. It was Ginny. Harry watched her intently as she flew in and out of the goal post and then got in position as Katie Bell came speeding towards her and threw the quaffle hard towards the right goal post. Ginny dove, nearly falling off of her broom, and made the save. She ended up making 7 saves, the same as the tiny first year Jake.  
  
The Gryffindor team got in a huddle and Katie was the first person to speak. "I think we should give it to Ginny as she is a 4th year. Jake can get a spot on the team when he is older." The rest of the team nodded in approval.  
  
"So is it a unanimous?" Angelina asked looking at everyone as she spoke. No one contradicted her so she walked towards the candidates to announce their decision.  
  
"Now you all did very well." Dean, who was standing with Seamus awaiting the team's verdict, snorted loudly. Seamus, looking indignant, punched him in the shoulder. Angelina waited until they were finished before speaking again. "But we can only pick one of you. So we decided on Ginny Weasley. Congratualtions! You are our new keeper!" Ginny gave a squeal of delight, while Jake's shoulders sagged and he looked disappointed. Harry felt bad for Jake, as he was very talented, but he had secretly wanted Ginny to get the position, though he wasn't sure why.  
  
Later that night, Ginny told Ron the news, and he looked genuinely excited for her.  
  
"Cool!" He grinned at Harry. "Maybe next year I can get on the team as chaser." Ron grinned. Fred soon joined the group.  
  
"This calls for celebration!" Fred walked towards Harry and he wondered if he should run. But he didn't have to worry; Fred merely whispered in his ear, "George and I will get candy from Honeydukes. You know how to get in the kitchens don't you?" Harry nodded. "Good. Get some éclairs and cakes from the elves." Fred winked at him and Harry grinned.  
  
Harry ran up to his dormitory to grab his invisibility cloak, as it was nearly 11 and he didn't think teachers would appreciate him roaming around the corridors this late. He made his way towards the entrance of the kitchens, but stopped when he heard voices. He followed the sound of the whispers and was surprised to see Dumbledore and Snape chatting quietly in an empty classroom. Harry heard snatches of their conversation.  
  
"…didn't tell us where or when or how he was going to do it. He makes sure his followers don't know everything." Snape muttered and Harry could barely here him.  
  
"But your sure, he said he was going to attack? Your positive?" Dumbledore asked Snape anxiously. Snape nodded. Dumbledore's shoulders sagged and Harry thought he looked older than ever before. Snape and Dumbledore made their way towards the door of the classroom where Harry was standing and he quickly started back on his way towards the kitchens. He got the cakes and éclairs Fred had requested and returned to Gryffindor. He joined normal conversation and ate cakes and Honeydukes candy with his friends for a half hour before feigning fatigue.  
  
He went up to the dormitories, got into his pajamas, and lay in bed, thinking of the conversation he had heard. Snape had obviously been talking about Voldemort. He was attacking somewhere and wherever it was, Dumbledore had been sadder than Harry had ever seen him. Where was Voldemort going to attack? Why was everyone going to such great lengths to keep him and his friends out of it? Harry lay in bed for a long time stewing these questions over and over in his mind, wondering what Voldemort held in store for the Wizarding world. 


	6. Finding the Courage

AN: Okay there's some romance thrown in this one! Please Review!  
  
Chapter 6: Finding the Courage  
  
The next three weeks seemed to go by in a whirl of homework, quidditch, and normalcy. Nothing suspicious or odd had been going on and Harry had the feeling that he was being lured into a false sense of security. Quidditch practices were taking up a lot of his time and the team was happily surprised with the performance of Ginny Weasley, thus far. Harry found himself marveling more than once at her skill as a keeper. Occasionally she would catch him looking at her, and she would grin at him, making Harry's stomach flip-flop, though Harry wasn't sure why. Perhaps he had eaten too much breakfast that day. Before he knew it, the second week of October had arrived filling the castle with a cool autumn mist.  
  
Mondays meant transfiguration. Harry made his way towards Professor McGonagalls room with Hermione and Ron chatting about quidditch, and homework and other carefree things. Harry wished things could always be like this. He wondered why people thought this wasn't good enough, just talking and enjoying a friends company. It was the people who deemed simple pleasures like these not sufficient that started all the trouble in the first place. Like Voldemort he thought with a shudder. He pushed the thought as far back in his mind as it would go. Harry decided he would make a resolution not to let Voldemort get in the way of everything he did.  
  
The Transfiguration lesson went as most do. Complicated notes were taken. Then they attempted to transfigure a cat into a cloak. After the lesson Professor McGonagall had an announcement to make.  
  
"Dumbledore has decided to have a Halloween Ball, since last year's Yule Ball was such a success. The ball will be open to 4th years and above, though you may invite a younger student to attend with you. You will wear dress robes." Harry heard Ron give a groan beside him and Harry knew he was thinking about his dress robes from last year. Harry, too, was not excited at the prospect of another ball. The first one had been bad enough, and in his opinion they weren't much fun at all. Yes, Harry could gladly go through life without attending another horrid episode like last year.  
  
"This is great, just great. Another ball! Are they crazy? Those robes are appalling, but they're the only ones I've got! Mum and Dad couldn't afford everything new." Ron finished ranting with a sigh and Harry sincerely hoped that Fred and George remembered their promise.  
  
"So who do you want to ask?" Harry ventured, hoping Ron wouldn't just ignore him. Besides he was pretty sure he knew the answer to that question himself, even if Ron wouldn't admit it out loud.  
  
"Dunno." Ron said awkwardly. "Maybe I'll just go by myself." He looked down at his hands and Harry could tell he was thinking about his robes again. Maybe Harry could lure him into saying he wanted to go with Hermione.  
  
"How about Parvati?" Harry asked smirking at him.  
  
"Don't think so. She didn't have a very good time with you last year and I think her sister might have told her what a lousy date I was." Ron stated, grinning.  
  
"Okay what about Lavender?" Harry questioned.  
  
"Too prissy and we have nothing in common anyways. Look what happened last year when I went with a girl I barely knew." Ron looked down at his hands. Harry was glad he had said that because it could be used in the impending argument.  
  
"Okay…" Harry made it look like he was thinking for a second before continuing. "Maybe…Hermione will go with you." He voiced innocently.  
  
"Hermione! Are you crazy?" Ron shrieked looking up once more. Harry noticed that his face turned red, which it hadn't done when he had mentioned other girls.  
  
"Well you said yourself that you don't want to go with a girl you barely know. And you know Hermione very well. Plus, you can make up for being rude to her last year." Harry finished his explanation and looked at Ron who seemed to be speechless. He quickly found his voice though.  
  
"You were rude to her too!" He exclaimed ignoring Harry's other comments.  
  
"You want me to ask her to the ball?" Harry questioned and couldn't help, but smirk.  
  
"No!" Ron shouted before he could stop himself and quickly put a hand to his mouth before it could cause any more damage. He thought for a minute and brought his hand down. "You guys are like brother and sister. It would be weird." He stated triumphantly.  
  
And you two aren't like brother and sister?" Harry asked curiously. He couldn't wait to here the answer to this one.  
  
"Well, it's not the same. We fight a lot and stuff so we're more like..." He trailed off trying to think of a word that would describe his relationship with Hermione.  
  
Harry, however, already had the perfect answer. "A married couple?" He finished for Ron and he started to snigger.  
  
Ron turned red and glared at Harry, but he finally threw in the white flag. "Maybe I will ask her." Ron muttered looking down at his feet.  
  
"Excuse me?" Harry said loudly, feigning deafness, with his hand cupping his ear. "I thought you said you were going to ask Hermione Granger to the Halloween Ball." He knew when to quit joking though, and he didn't want to discourage Ron so he added, "Just kidding, mate. I think it's awesome. I wish I knew who I wanted to ask."  
  
"Do you think she will go with me? Isn't Vicky her boyfriend?" Ron asked with a sneer.  
  
"I don't think so. I'm pretty sure they're only friends." Harry answered. And he was pretty sure. He couldn't remember how many times she had told him and Ron that they were only friends, but it was definitely a big number, and Harry doubted that things had changed. Ron looked slightly cheered for a moment, but didn't appear to want to discuss the Ball any further.  
  
He started telling Harry about the new chaser that the Chudley Cannons had acquired this year and how awesome they would be now. Harry wanted to say that they might even win a game this season, but did not want to hear a speech from Ron.  
  
The next day Harry went down to breakfast feeling lazy. He wished he didn't have to have lessons that day. He wished he could relax in front of the fireplace in Gryffindor all day, but he couldn't. He sat down in the Great Hall with a sigh. Ron sat next to him and shot a nervous look at Hermione when she took a seat next to him. Harry wanted to laugh at this, but resisted. He wouldn't want Ron to laugh at him if he were in a similar situation.  
  
Hermione must have noticed his awkwardness because she looked at him for a minute before asking, "What's wrong with you?" She looked concerned and waited for his answer, but he couldn't do much except gulp and shake his head. Hermione gave him a weird look and shrugged. "Oh shoot, I forgot my Defense book. I'll see you guys in class!" She got up to leave.  
  
"Wait!" Ron yelled. She looked back at him. "I'll come with you. I..er..forgot all of my quills." Hermione gave him another scrutinizing look, but waited as he caught up with her. Harry watched the two of them leave the Great Hall together and he sincerely hoped that Ron would find enough courage to ask Hermione.  
  
Harry had been staring so intently at the pair of them that he didn't notice Ginny take Ron's vacant seat beside him. She wasn't eating anything though, only looking at him as if she didn't want to interrupt his thoughts. "Hey Ginny." He greeted her and turned back to his food.  
  
"Harry, I need to ask you something." Harry looked up at her worriedly, wondering if this had something to do with Voldemort. He nodded, motioning her to continue. It seemed to take her a great deal of strength to get her next words out. "Will you go to the ball with me?"  
  
He was shocked. Sure girls had asked him before, but not anyone he really knew. His first impulse was to say no, but he decided to give it some thought before turning her away. Going to the Ball with Ginny could be okay, fun even. At least he knew her and wouldn't be going with some random stranger and she had gone through all the trouble to ask him. And if he accepted her invitation he wouldn't have to ask anyone. Besides, Ginny had liked him for a long time when she was younger, and even though he was sure this childhood crush had subsided, perhaps he should start paying more attention to her. They were teammates after all. Another good point, Ginny was an awesome quidditch player. She seemed to have a fun personality and now that she could talk while he was in the room with her, that personality was starting to shine.  
  
Harry smiled. "Sure." He said trying to sound nonchalant, but his insides were writhing. She nodded meekly and went back to her group of friends. Harry grinned at her when she turned to look at him. She smiled back and they locked eyes for a minute before turning away.  
  
Harry made his way through the winding hallways of Hogwarts and entered Professor Figg's room. He sat down next to Ron and glanced at his watch to see that they had almost ten minutes before class started. Harry looked at Hermione to see her scribbling furiously in her notebook and then turned back to Ron. "How did it go?" He whispered.  
  
Ron sighed. "I couldn't do it Harry. I just couldn't ask her. What if she says no. Then where will that leave us?" Harry wasn't exactly sure what to say in these types of situations, but he had a go.  
  
"She won't say no. She feels the same way you do, but if by some unlucky chance she was going with someone else already or she did say no, then you guys would still be best friends, just as you always have been, just as you always will be." Ron looked at Harry and seemed to except his answer.  
  
"Okay." He said with firm resolution. "I will ask her after class when we get back to Gryffindor. Make yourself scarce for a half hour, alright?" Harry grinned.  
  
"Sure thing." Harry went to sit back down at his seat, but before he could turn fully around Ron grabbed his arm.  
  
So who are you going to ask?" Ron questioned looking curious. Harry blushed. Should he tell him? He had to. Ron was his best friend.  
  
"I…er…already have a date." He muttered awkwardly.  
  
Ron cocked an eyebrow at him. "Oh yeah, and when was I going to hear about this."  
  
"Well she just asked me after you and Hermione left the Great Hall." He said quietly.  
  
"And who is this lucky lady?" Ron inquired with a smirk.  
  
"Um…well…your..er…your sister asked me." There he had said it. Hopefully Ron would not blow up at him.  
  
"Ew! My sister! Gross!" Ron exclaimed. The whole class now looked at the pair of them. Harry looked blankly at the class and gradually they turned away and went back to their conversations.  
  
"Would you keep it down? Jeez! If I had wanted the whole school to know, I would have told Lavender." Harry hissed.  
  
Ron scowled. "Harry it's my sister. That's practically incest!" He shouted, softer this time.  
  
Harry rolled his eyes. "YOUR sister, not mine, how is that even remotely related to incest?"  
  
"I dunno. Look I guess its okay. I mean if someone had to go out with her, I guess you're the best guy." At that moment, Professor Figg entered the room and Harry quickly took his seat. The lesson went on rather monotonously and all Harry could think about was Ginny Weasley.  
  
After the class, Harry started going in the opposite direction of Ron and Hermione. "Where are you going, Harry?" Hermione questioned him as soon as she saw him veering away from them.  
  
"Um..Hospital wing. I have a bit of a cold and thought maybe some pepper-up potion will help." Harry chose that moment to erupt into a loud coughing fit before continuing. "So, I'll see you guys in a bit."  
  
"But Harry. The hospital wing is that way." Hermione said, pointing to a passage on their left.  
  
"Oh..er…right. I must be getting delirious or something." Harry muttered and quickly went down the passage towards the hospital wing. He eventually made his way towards the library and was browsing through the shelves trying to waste time, when one particular volume caught his eye. A Wizard's Guide to Dancing: Everything you need to know! Harry had just realized that he didn't know how to dance.  
  
He checked out the heavy book, stuffed it into his bag and made his way back to Gryffindor tower. He gave the Fat Lady the password ("quaffle") and entered. Hermione was sitting at a table in a corner. She had books and notebooks spread out. There was a quill in her hand, but she wasn't writing anything. She was smiling and running her hands through her hair.  
  
"Where's Ron?" Harry asked her abruptly. She awoke from her reverie and looked up at him.  
  
"Oh, hey Harry. You startled me. He went up to the dormitories." Hermione still had that smile on her face and it was making him a little uneasy.  
  
Harry jumped up the stairs two at a time and went through the door to their dormitories. "Well?" He asked Ron as soon as he walked into the room. Ron was lying on his bed with the same goofy grin that Hermione wore.  
  
"She said yes, Harry." He whispered in an almost blissful manner. "She said yes."  
  
  
  
AN: I was thinking of doing an aside to this chapter and show exactly how Ron asks Hermione to the ball. What do you think? 


	7. Irritation and Adoration

AN: Sorry this chapter took so long. It was a hard one to write and sorry if it's a little boring, but don't worry the next chapter will be the ball! Thanks for reading and please review!  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing!  
  
Chapter 7: Irritation and Adoration  
  
Harry was starting to get annoyed by their behavior and it surprised him. He hadn't guessed that they would be acting differently towards each other, but they were. The day after Ron had asked Hermione to the ball, he had refused to go down stairs until his stomach had almost burst with hunger. They were oddly polite to one another and he would always catch one of them looking at the other in class. Luckily both of them acted the same as they always had towards him.  
  
On Friday, Harry went down to the Potions dungeon trailing a little behind Ron and Hermione who were having an animated conversation about Neville's latest disaster in Transfiguration, in which he had transfigured Professor McGonagall into a spoon. Harry, who felt like somewhat of a third wheel around them nowadays, had not joined in the conversation and felt content to walk in silence.  
  
Potions was boring as usual. They took notes on the ingredients for a Courage Concoction and attempted to brew it. Neville ended up adding to many spiders, which caused his to froth dangerously and explode all over the classroom. It had no effect on any one in the class, however, because he had not mixed it right. Harry knew that Filch would have to come by when class was over, and clean it up. He might even go as far to find out who made the mess and punish them for it.  
  
Harry couldn't deny one thing though; Filch had changed. He didn't seem to care so much when students dirtied the castle and rarely gave punishments, so perhaps Neville was safe. Filch always looked preoccupied with something and Harry explained Filch's behavior by fear of Voldemort. It was weird how Voldemort could change anyone, even Filch.  
  
The next day was a Saturday, so Ron, Hermione, and Harry decided to go visit Hagrid. Upon reaching their destination, they knocked on his door and he greeted them.  
  
"Nice ter finally see you three." He grinned and let them in. They sat around Hagrid's cabin, being warmed by the fireplace, and chatted about the upcoming quidditch season and Snape's awful Potions classes. They left a few hours later and Harry felt happier after the visit. It was always fun to go visit Hagrid as he always had a cheery disposition.  
  
Harry went up to their dorms earlier than usual that night. With Halloween fast approaching, he wanted to be able to dance at least a little bit. Since he hadn't danced at all at the previous years ball, he really had no idea what he was supposed to do. He picked up the thick volume he had checked out of the library and began to read. He practiced the steps and footwork as the book suggested and soon had a vague idea of how to dance. Harry was just putting the book away for the night, when Ron joined him.  
  
"What do you have there?" Ron asked pointing to the tumultuous volume Harry was now attempting to shove hastily in his bag.  
  
"Um…nothing. Just some O.W.L. reading." Harry replied, not sounding very convincing.  
  
Ron smirked. "Now I know your lying. The only person who is studying for their O.W.L.S already is Hermione and she's insane."  
  
Harry rolled his eyes. Of course he had to bring Hermione into the conversation. Harry was too irritated with the two of them to see that Ron's comment had been a rather innocent one. "Yeah, well maybe I care a little more about school than I used to." Ron eyed him suspiciously and Harry could tell that he didn't believe him, but he didn't seem to want to push Harry any further. He shrugged his shoulders and the two of them went to bed.  
  
Harry trudged to early morning quidditch practice feeling like he would have much rather stayed in bed. Angelina had insisted on practicing more, since their first game was drawing closer. He mounted his Firebolt and felt the wind whip his hair as the broom cut through the air. It was a nice day for flying, breezy and cloudless. Harry closed his eyes and let the moment take over. He breathed in the fresh scent of the morning.  
  
"Harry! Look out!" Someone screamed. Harry jerked his eyes open and found himself about to fly right into Ginny Weasley. He turned the Firebolt sharply, narrowly missing Ginny. Ginny stared at him and Harry couldn't really remember a time when he was more embarrassed. He knew his face must be red and willed it to turn back to its normal shade.  
  
"Er…sorry." He muttered. Ginny just grinned at him and flew to the goal posts. Harry turned around only to be faced with Fred and George.  
  
"What were you thinking about Potter?" George questioned, teasing in his eyes.  
  
"Yeah, we hear you're going to the ball with our little sister. I hope your not thinking dirty thoughts." Fred continued what his twin had started.  
  
"Because if you are..." George began.  
  
"We might just have to hurt you." Fred stated matter-of-factly. Harry, having no experience in this sort of brotherly banter, didn't really know what to say.  
  
"I was just thinking about…what a nice day it was." He told them truthfully. Harry looked down, feeling a little nervous, though he wasn't quite sure why. It wasn't like he had been thinking…things about Ginny. His face burned at the notion and he quickly turned his attention back to Fred and George, hoping to chase the thoughts out of his mind.  
  
Fred and George glared at him suspiciously and started whispering to each other. Harry caught phrases like "don't think he's telling us the truth" and "should we beat him up now or later". A few seconds later Angelina came tearing into their little group and demanded to know why they weren't in their positions.  
  
Harry, who was expecting some sort of death threat from Fred and George before they left him alone, was genuinely surprised when their faces broke out in wide identical grins. They then proceeded to congratulate him on catching such a fine partner before taking their positions on the field. Harry breathed a sigh of relief, finally realizing that they were just joking around with him. Throughout the practice, Harry couldn't seem to concentrate. More than once, he found his eyes lingering on Ginny and the way her fiery hair waved in the autumn wind. Fred and George seemed to know what was going on for Harry saw them a few times snickering at him and doing impressions of his staring. He would also hear shouts of "Put your eyes back in your head where they belong Potter!" Harry desperately wished that they would stop doing this in front of Ginny, as it was terribly embarrassing for him.  
  
When quidditch practice came to an end, Harry couldn't help but feel relieved. All in all, he wasn't in a very good mood when he made his way back up to Gryffindor tower. Upon arrival, he found Ron and Hermione enjoying a game of chess by the fire and this just angered Harry more. Without looking at either of them as they greeted him, he marched up to the dorms and threw himself on his bed.  
  
Why was he feeling such animosity towards Ron and Hermione? Okay, animosity was really too strong of word, more like irritation. He thought for a second and then the realization hit him. He was jealous! He was jealous that they seemed to be palling around all the time and leaving him behind. It had always been him and Ron, and they would occasionally leave out Hermione. He felt bad for her now, knowing what it was like to be left out. Harry decided he would just have to be a little more patient with the two of them, after all they liked each other and when you like someone you spend more time with them. Okay, Problem one solved.  
  
Problem two. How could he get Fred and George to stop teasing him about Ginny? He could always tell Ginny he had changed his mind and did not want to go to the Halloween Ball with her anymore. But he realized that he DID want to go to the ball with her. He was actually kind of looking forward to it. And why was he so interested in her lately anyways? I mean who really cared. It was Ginny, just Ginny, Ron's little sister, whom he had known since first year. Just Ron's little sister who happened to have very pretty red hair and warm chocolate eyes. Harry groaned. He liked her! He actually liked her! Not that there was anything wrong with that, but still. Was he as obvious about it as Ron had been with Hermione? He thought about practice, about the staring and decided that yes, he was obvious about it.  
  
What could he do? Maybe he would just never come out of the dorms again. He could get Ron to bring up food and Hermione could teach him his lessons. Hell, she was a better teacher than half of the ones he had to endure. Harry didn't want to admit it, but he wanted to see her again. Wanted to see the smile that lit up her face, and hear her laugh, which was one of the most beautiful sounds Harry had ever heard. These feelings he was having, well they were terrifying him, but they were also exciting too. Harry knew one thing for sure; he couldn't wait until Halloween. 


	8. Dancing and Tender Moments

AN: Finally the ball! Sorry it took so long.tough to write! Please review!  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing!  
  
  
  
Chapter 8: Dancing and Tender Moments  
  
Harry had been tossing and turning all night. The next day was Halloween and Harry's earlier feelings of excitement were replaced by ones of extreme nervousness. Sure he had practiced dancing, Sure he had nice dress robes, Sure he was only going with his best friend's little sister, but he liked his best friend's little sister.  
  
He tried to take his mind off of himself and Ginny. His mind searched for a new topic, anything to let him forget, even if only for a few moments, about the predicament he had gotten himself into. His brain finally landed on Ron's dress robes. Fred and George had not given Ron his dress robes yet, and Harry had pretty much given up on them. Ron had confessed to Harry earlier that day, how much he was dreading, wearing his maroon robes. Thinking of robes, his mind gradually fell back on Ginny.  
  
They had been avoiding each other lately, and Harry couldn't help but hope that she was as nervous as he was. Quidditch practices were going a little better. Harry did not stare as much as he had been previously and Fred and George seemed to get the hint that he was embarrassed beyond belief. Though he was nervous, Harry felt lucky to be going with Ginny. Someone he knew, someone he could at least talk too, unlike Parvati the year before. He smirked in the darkness, thinking about last year's ball. Harry sighed. He knew it must be late and he needed his rest for the following day. He turned to the wall and with Ginny in mind, sleep eventually overtook him.  
  
The next day, Harry woke up later than usual. It was past ten and he was grateful that it was a Saturday. Harry was surprised to see that Ron was still sleeping. After gently shaking him awake, they dressed and went downstairs to meet Hermione for breakfast. Ron was unusually silent throughout the meal and Harry had the feeling that he was nervous as well. This comforted Harry, and with a grin he thought of the phrase "Misery loves company." That about described the situation all right.  
  
"Er..Hermione?" Ron questioned, when breakfast was practically over.  
  
"Yes Ron?" She looked anxious and happy.  
  
"Me and Harry have to..uh..clean the dorm room today. It's our weekend, ya know. Dean and Seamus did it last time..so.er..we have to do that. So we're going to do it now and we'll see you later." Ron tugged at Harry's arm, and Harry tried to look like this story wasn't new to him.  
  
After reaching their destination, Ron sat on his bed and did not speak for a few moments. Harry shattered the silence. "So, what's up?", but before Ron could answer, Harry saw a big package at the foot of Ron's bed that they had not noticed when they walked in. "Hey, what's that?" He said, jerking a finger towards the large box.  
  
Ron leaned over to look where Harry was pointing. He grabbed the box and began to take the wrappings off of it. "Wow!" Ron exclaimed, when he revealed the contents. Harry breathed a sigh of relief at the sight. It was the dress robes that Fred and George had promised to purchase for Ron. They were a royal blue color and seemed to be made of a high quality velvet-like material. "I wonder where these came from." Ron muttered as he pulled them from the box and held them up to himself. A piece of parchment fluttered to the floor. Ron picked it up and read it out loud. "Dearest ickle Ronniekins: As your older brothers, it is our job to make sure you do not make a total prat out of yourself. Usually, we let you do it anyways, but as you are finally getting seriously involved with someone-" Ron paused at this part and blushed a deep shade of crimson before continuing. "we figured we should help you out. Your favorite brothers, Fred and George." Ron scowled. "They aren't my favorite brothers." He ran his hand up and down the robes, apparently admiring them before turning to Harry. "I can't believe they did something this cool." He said seriously.  
  
"Yeah. This year you won't have to go to a ball looking like a big maroon idiot." Harry replied with a grin.  
  
Ron shot back at him, smiling. "Oy, Shut up Harry."  
  
"So what did you want to come here for?" Harry asked, finally approaching the reason they were in their dorm room in the first place.  
  
"I don't know. I guess I'm just." He looked up at Harry as if considering him.  
  
"What? What is it?" Ron muttered something, but Harry didn't catch it. "Sorry, what was that?"  
  
"I said, I'm a little nervous. I mean Hermione's been one of my best friends for five years. There is no reason for me to be nervous." He whispered weakly, looking at Harry oddly, as if waiting to hear him laugh.  
  
Instead, Harry opted to tell him his own feelings. "Well, I've known your sister for five years too and I'm still really nervous." Ron glared as if to say he still didn't approve of the idea of Harry going to a dance with his sister.  
  
"Yeah well, I guess we're a pair of nervous prats. Eh, Harry?" Harry laughed and soon Ron began to do the same. They soon made their way back downstairs into the common room where, surprise, Hermione was reading a thick volume titled "1,000 Practical Uses for Arithmancy." Ron and Harry were soon enjoying a game of chess, forgetting their ball worries for the time being.  
  
Soon, lunch was served and 7:30 rolled around. Harry and Ron decided they better start preparing for the event that was sure to cause their deaths. They hurriedly got their robes on and fixed their hair. Harry was hopelessly trying to flatten his unruly black hair, but only succeeded in making it look worse. Frustrated, he ran his hands through it several times to take it back to it's original stage of untidiness.  
  
Ron kept wringing his hands together nervously, and pacing the floor. At five to eight, Harry and Ron walked down the steps to the common room. The girls were not waiting for them so Harry sat on the couch fidgeting nervously, while Ron started his pacing again. Soon it was a few minutes after eight. Ron looked worried as he made his way back to Harry.  
  
"Where the bloody hell, are they!? It's-" He paused to look at his watch. "three minutes after eight! Hermione is never late for anything!" Harry just nodded and looked to the stairs leading down from the girl's dormitories, hoping against hope that the girls had not abruptly changed their minds. Suddenly a swish was heard at the top of the steps. It was Hermione. Harry glanced at Ron to see him staring as she made her way down the steps. Harry thought that she looked nice in her shimmering red robes and Ron seemed to be of the same opinion.  
  
"Ginny will be down in a minute." She said pointedly to Harry. Harry nodded and smiled at her.  
  
"You look nice." He complimented her, hoping to ease the nervous tension that seemed to fill the room.  
  
"Thank you Harry. You look nice as well. That shade of green really suits you." Ron had remained silent during this exchange and didn't speak as he offered Hermione his arm. The two of them went out the portrait hole and Harry waited for Ginny. A few minutes later she appeared. Harry gulped as he watched the turquoise robes she was wearing swish against her legs. She smiled at him.  
  
"Hi Harry." She said simply. The two of them stared awkwardly at each other for a moment before Harry remembered what he was supposed to say.  
  
"Er.I like your robes. You look really great." He muttered weakly. He sounded stupid. He sounded like an idiot, he was sure. Wait! Yes she was smiling. That must have been the right thing to say.  
  
"Thanks. You look really nice, too." Harry smiled at her and she took his arm as they made their way to the Great Hall. The room was decorated with a dozen or so huge pumpkins with faces that winked at Harry as they passed. Live bats flew in the air, creating a very creepy, but magnificent Halloween atmosphere. Harry and Ginny sat down at one of the little tables with Ron and Hermione who were already beginning their meal. Harry said; "lobster!" cleary to his plate and lobster appeared. They ate mostly in silence, sometimes commenting on the food or the decorations.  
  
Finally everyone was finished eating, the tables were cleared from the floor and the Weird Sisters came up to the stage. They began playing a soft song and Harry stuck his hand out and muttered something about dancing. Ginny seemed to get the point and took his hand. They made their way out amongst the other dancing couples and Harry put his hands on her waist as she put hers on his shoulders. They swayed to the music and Harry was lost in her eyes. At the end of the song they parted and walked over to get some punch. Hermione and Ron were still standing off to the side, and had not danced at all to the first song of the evening. Hermione was looking a little angry as Ron looked down at his feet. Harry rolled his eyes. Oh great, I wonder what they are mad at each other for now.  
  
He watched as Ron whispered something to Hermione, who made a waving motion with her hands and looked angrier than ever. Ron than began walking, towards him and came up beside him.  
  
"How are you doing, mate?" Harry asked nonchalantly, pretending not to notice that Hermione practically had steam coming out of her ears.  
  
"Not too good." He shot a look at Hermione and looked rather embarrassed. "How do you.er.ask?" Now Harry was puzzled.  
  
"Ask what?" He said, his brow furrowed.  
  
"Ask.to dance." Harry almost laughed. So THAT was the problem. "I don't know what to say and how to say it." Ron whispered desperately and Harry felt a little sorry for him.  
  
"Just ask. Just hold out your hand and say wanna dance? Listen, the hard part is out of the way. You asked her to come with you and she said yes, so obviously she wants to dance with you." Harry stated, giving the best advice he could think of at the moment.  
  
"Yeah.okay.okay." With a determined and resolved look in his eyes, Ron weaved his way through the crowd back to Hermione. He stayed silent for a few moments before Harry saw him stick out his hand and whisper something in her ear. She smiled at him as his ears turned red and the two made their way out on the dance floor. Feeling it would be a little inappropriate to watch them, Harry went to the punch bowl to get something to drink for himself and Ginny, who had gone to the loo.  
  
The rest of the night, Harry had one of the best times of his life. He danced and joked with Ginny and she seemed to enjoy his company as well. As the clock struck eleven, Harry couldn't help but feel a little sad that the ball was over. He escorted Ginny all the way up to Gryffindor tower and they stopped when they reached the portrait hole.  
  
"I had a really nice time with you tonight, Ginny." He whispered, looking at his feet. He wanted to look into her eyes and tell her that she was one of the nicest, sweetest people he ever met and was very happy that she had asked him, but his mouth didn't seem to be working. He was pretty surprised that he had managed the one sentence.  
  
Harry looked up as she spoke. "I had a great time with you too, Harry." She seemed to be contemplating something and finally she leaned in and hugged him. He held her close, not wanting to let go, ever, but they soon parted as they heard footsteps coming towards them. Harry turned around to see Ron and Hermione talking quietly at the end of the hallway. He watched as Hermione touched Ron's cheek affectionately. Harry turned away. He wouldn't want Ron looking at one of his private moments like that. Harry led Ginny back into the common room. They both wished the other goodnight and made their way towards the appropriate dorm. Harry waited up for Ron. After an hour, Ron had still not returned. Getting a little worried, Harry decided to go check the common room. He padded down the steps quietly and grinned at the sight that greeted him. Ron was sitting on the couch, sleeping. Hermione was leaning on him and Ron's arm was draped protectively around her shoulders. They looked so happy and peaceful and Harry didn't want to disturb them. He made his way back into bed, his dreams sure to filled with thoughts of Ginny. 


	9. Numbness Sets In

AN: Please review! Disclaimer: I own nothing!  
  
Chapter 9: Numbness Sets In  
  
  
  
Harry felt elated as he woke up very early the morning after Halloween. He had survived the ball with Ginny and everything was going okay. Except for Voldemort, a little voice in the back of his head reminded him. Harry shook his head to clear those thoughts away. He had promised himself that Voldemort would not ruin every bit of happiness he had.  
  
After getting dressed, he went downstairs to meet Ron and Hermione for breakfast. Harry was surprised the two were awake. It was very early for any of them to be up, especially on a Sunday. He remembered with a grin, the way he had found the two curled up on the couch the previous night, but no one else knew that. Harry had heard Ron come to bed later in the night so no one had awoken to find the two together.  
  
During breakfast, Harry received his usual copy of the Daily Prophet, and was startled by the headline on the front page. Harry opened and closed his mouth several times, but it didn't seem to be working properly. He glanced at Ron who was shoving sausages into his mouth at an astonishing rate. Where was Dumbledore? Harry thought scanning the staff table and not finding him there.  
  
"What's wrong Harry?" Ron had finally noticed Harry's odd behavior. Should he tell him? Should he wait for Dumbledore? What was there to do? "Harry? What is it?" Ron was now peering at him in a curious manner and noticed the Daily Prophet dangling freely from Harry's hand. "Is that Skeeter woman at it again?" He asked in a frustrated tone and grabbed the Daily Prophet before Harry could stop him. He gasped at the headline that greeted him and stared. Hermione looked over Ron's shoulder and her mouth fell open. Her voice seemed unable to work as well. Ron just kept staring at the headline that read: Weasley Family Attacked, Resurrected You Know Who Thought To Be Responsible.  
  
Harry's mind wasn't working. He felt like he was stuck in a parallel universe where coherent thought was not possible. He tried to pull himself together for Ron's sake, but he just couldn't. It was only then that he noticed Dumbledore come to Ron's side. Dumbledore took Ron's arm and practically dragged him out of the Great Hall, Harry and Hermione in tow. None of the other Weasleys were present. They were still asleep.  
  
"This was not how I wanted you to find out about this Mr. Weasley. However, news of the attack has just reached me." Ron seemed unable to respond. He had a blank look in his eyes that made him seem empty inside.  
  
"Wha." Ron began to speak, but stopped as his voice cracked. He shook his head and cleared his throat, trying, it seemed, to regain his composure. "What happened? Are they going to be okay?"  
  
Dumbledore sighed and put his hand on Ron's shoulder. "The Death Eaters came and attacked. There was really nothing your parents could do, but Arthur tried to fend them off as Molly ran to escape. Your father cursed about eight death eaters, but in the end there were just to many of them. Mr. Weasley." Dumbledore paused.  
  
"Just TELL ME!" Ron screamed. Hermione jumped. Dumbledore flinched, but nodded his head.  
  
"Alright. Mr. Weasley.your father was killed. You mother was badly injured. She is in St. Mungos now, but she should be just fine. Your father was a courageous man, Ron. He died protecting your mother and everything that the Order of the Phoenix stands for." It looked like Dumbledore had more to say, but before he could get another word out, Ron ran out of the room.  
  
Harry jumped up to follow him, Hermione at his side. This was not a time for Ron to be alone. He needed his friends. Harry and Hermione ran after Ron following him all the way down to the lake. Ron stopped at the water's edge and turned around to face them.  
  
Harry was surprised to see tears streaming down his best friend's face. He didn't really know what to say to him, to make him feel better, to make things okay again. Harry realized that nothing would make things okay again, NOTHING. This was just the first loss of many losses, the first tragic death in what was sure to be a long string of tragic deaths.  
  
Harry looked at Hermione. She was crying too. Her eyes were focused on Ron and she seemed to be speechless as well. Slowly she walked up to Ron and put her arms around him in a comforting embrace. Ron closed his eyes as he held on to Hermione tightly. He buried his tear-stained face in her hair and let out a choking sob.  
  
It seemed like an hour, but in reality was only about ten minutes, when Ron let go of Hermione. Wordlessly, the three made their way back up to the castle. One by one, the Weasleys awoke and heard the news. Dumbledore took them into his office, explained what had happened and let them go. Ginny slept late that day, but when she did wake up, Dumbledore was there to take her aside and explain to her the same thing he had explained three times already.  
  
Harry was grateful that he was near when Ginny was told what had occurred. Ron and Hermione had gone to take a walk, alone. Surprisingly, Harry felt that he understood why they wanted to be alone and he found he didn't mind much. Harry watched out of the corner of his eye as Dumbledore led Ginny out of the portrait hole. After a few minutes, Harry followed and waited outside of Dumbledore's office.  
  
Harry waited for a while and finally Ginny came running out of the portrait hole that led up to Dumbledore's office. She started to run away, when she saw Harry. She stopped in front of him. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, her chin was trembling and she looked ghostly pale.  
  
"Oh.Harry.I..I..just." Harry put a finger to her lips.  
  
"Shhhh. You don't have to say anything." He embraced her warmly and she collapsed in his arms. Her body shook as she sobbed relentlessly and Harry whispered comforting words in her ears. An hour passed slowly and Harry felt tears began to make their way down his cheeks as he listened to Ginny cry her soul out. In a way, it felt like losing his parents again except on a much larger scale. He tried to think of Mrs. Weasley. At least there was something to be thankful for. She was still alive and well.  
  
A few hours later, Harry and Ginny went back to the common room to find Fred, George, Ron and Hermione all sitting around the fire. They weren't talking, just contentedly enjoying the fact that they had each other for support. Harry and Ginny joined them.  
  
"I will need to see all of you in my office." Harry jumped, startled. Dumbledore was standing behind them, a pained expression on his face. They followed him to his office and for the second time that day, Harry entered the beautiful circular room that he now associated with bad news.  
  
"All of you will be going to the Weasley house tomorrow. Mr. Potter, Miss Granger." He said with a nod at the two of them. "You will be going there as well. I know you were very close to Arthur and I'm sure you are worried about Molly." He turned back to the Weasleys. "Your Aunt Denise will be the one taking care of you. You will be staying for a week. During this time, you will attend your father's funeral, visit with your mother, and take care of anything that needs to be done. If any of you need more than a week, just let me know and it will be taken care of. Questions?" Dumbledore scanned the room.  
  
"Er.how are we getting there?" Harry asked. "All of you will come to my office tomorrow after breakfast and you can use floo powder and my fireplace. Harry nodded and Dumbledore dismissed them. When they returned to the Gryffindor common room once again, they all decided to go to bed. There was nothing to say and nothing to do.  
  
Harry lay in bed for hours, unable to shake off the tragedy that occurred and the guilt that came with it. This was HIS fault. The Weasleys were targeted because of him. Had the rational part of his brain been working, Harry would have realized that the Weasleys were targeted for being members of the resistance which Harry now knew as The Order of the Phoenix, but all Harry could do was blame himself. Was everyone close to him going to be hurt? Would Ginny and Ron suffer more losses because of their friendship with him? Would Hermione become a target as well? Would Voldemort continue to hurt those closest to him until he was dead? All these questions swirled around Harry's mind as numbness set in. 


	10. Hospital Visits and The Funeral

AN: Please Review!  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing  
  
Chapter 10: Hospital Visits and The Funeral  
  
Harry trudged to Dumbledore's office with the rest of the Weasleys, in silence. There was nothing to say. When they reached the stone gargoyle guarding the circular room, Hermione gave the password softly and they all entered without another word.  
  
Dumbledore was sitting in an old rickety rocking chair at the far side of the room. "Floo powder?" He asked holding up a jar. Fred came forward first and took a pinch. "All of you better hurry. Your Aunt Denise is already waiting at the Burrow." They all nodded and soon everyone was gathered in the Weasley kitchen.  
  
Harry heard a loud voice call from upstairs. "Oh! Children! It's so nice to see you again." A skinny woman dressed in green robes came running down the steps. She stopped and smiled with tears in her eyes. "It's been so long since I've seen all of you. Years! Fred, George you look just like your father." Tears spilled over her cheeks as she hugged each one of her nephews and finally her niece in turn.  
  
She stared at Harry and Hermione for a second before hugging each of them too. "Oh! You must be Harry Potter and Hermione Granger! Molly has told me so much about you! Now, why don't you all go up to your rooms and get settled? Later, we can have lunch and then go visit your mother."  
  
The Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione hurried upstairs. Fred and George retreated silently to their room. Hermione followed Ginny into hers and Harry followed Ron all the way to the top of all the staircases.  
  
Harry set his bag down and Ron lay on his bed looking more exhausted than Harry had ever seen him. Harry desperately wanted to talk about something normal, anything to take his and Ron's mind off of their current situation.  
  
"So...er.is that your dad's sister?" He questioned softly. Ron looked up at him and stared for a moment before answering.  
  
"Yeah." He whispered. He went back to picking at his Chudley Cannons bedspread. Silence filled the room. There was really nothing to say. Both of the boys were lost in thought about Mr. Weasley.  
  
Suddenly, Harry heard a quiet knock at the door. Ron made no move to get up, so Harry went and answered it. It was Hermione. "Hi." He said softly. It was almost becoming a rule that you weren't allowed to speak loud.  
  
"Lunch is ready." Hermione said in the same tone of voice. Harry and Ron joined her and the rest of the Weasleys for sandwiches and pumpkin juice. The meal was a silent one, but Harry didn't mind much. He really didn't know what to say.  
  
After they were all done eating, they used Floo Powder for the second time that day. Harry was anxious to see Mrs. Weasley. He wanted to look at her and say, "Okay, she's fine." When they all reached the hospital, Denise went up to the front desk, asked for Mrs. Weasley's room number, and then preceded to make her way towards the room, children in tow.  
  
Harry entered Mrs. Weasley's confined hospital room, and breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of her. She was sitting up in her bed, attempting to look cheerful. It broke Harry's heart to see the tears cascading down her cheeks as she and Denise spoke of what had happened. Harry wasn't really listening to what they were saying until he heard his name.  
  
"Harry.dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked, again trying to sound jovial.  
  
He stepped forward. "Yes Mrs. Weasley?"  
  
"I don't want you thinking this is your fault. Or any of you." She said pointing to each of her children and Hermione in turn. "Arthur and I chose to fight against Voldemort. We knew of the possible consequences." Silent tears formed in her eyes at the mention of her late husband's name. "I'm glad we did what we did to help and when I'm back on my feet, I will continue down the same path." She smiled at them. Fred and George didn't seem keen to have their mother in the path of danger, but for once they did not speak their minds. They knew of Mrs. Weasley's stubborn streak. Once she was set on something, she wasn't going to back down.  
  
At that moment, the door burst open. Harry swiveled around to see Bill and Charlie entering the room. "Mum!" Bill cried out. "I'm so sorry it took us so long! I had to tie up a few loose ends and then Apparating here took a while and-"  
  
"Oh hush, dear." Mrs. Weasley interrupted. "I'm fine." The rest of the day went by in a whirl of sadness and hurt and sometimes happiness. They shared memories of Mr. Weasley and all the good times they had had with him. Harry laughed as Ron told of Mr. Weasley's obsession with cars.  
  
Sitting in bed that night, Harry tried not to think of the loss, but of what had survived. He found that it was a lot easier to suffer pain and hurt when your friends supported you throughout the whole thing. He wondered if he and Hermione were helping Ron get through this tough time in his life. He hoped so.  
  
The next day was Mr. Weasley's funeral. Harry and Ron woke early, and put on their dress robes to prepare for the ceremony. Once again, the house was silent. Denise had gone to St. Mungo's to get Mrs. Weasley who was being discharged that day. When Mrs. Weasley arrived, she fussed over everyone's dress robes, cutting a few threads off of Fred's and fixing Charlie's collar. The funeral came faster than Harry would have liked. One by one, Harry, Hermione and the Weasleys passed by Mr. Weasleys casket. They then sat down, waiting for the beginnings of the ceremony. A wizard priest stood up after a moment and began to speak.  
  
"Arthur William Weasley was a great man who loved helping other people and." Harry tried hard not to listen. It was easier that way. He looked around at all the people who had arrived. Many of their schoolmates had taken the day off from Hogwarts to attend. Harry saw Seamus Finnigan sitting with his father. Neville was with his grandmother who was fixing the collar of his dress robes.  
  
Harry couldn't help it. He started listening to the priest again. "And now Molly Weasley would like to say a few words." Harry watched as Mrs. Weasley rose from her seat and walked up to a podium in the front of the room.  
  
"My husband, Arthur Weasley was a kind and gentle man. He was a great husband and father. His children adored him and I did as well. We all loved him so much. He will be greatly missed." She broke down at her own words. Tears poured uncontrollably down her cheeks. Bill ran up to where she was leaning against the podium for support and helped his mother back to her seat.  
  
The rest of the week passed by in a blur. Weasley relatives came from all over to visit and to mourn with Mrs. Weasley. By the end of the week, Harry thought that Ron, Fred, George, and Ginny looked to be feeling a little bit better. Their mother had a way of making them see that it would all be okay. Her intense optimism even improved Harry's mood.  
  
Harry was glad to be returning to the hustle and bustle of Hogwarts. Hopefully it would take his mind off of things, though he wasn't sure. Strange things had been occurring this year. Miss Figg's arrival being the first. Harry wasn't sure that he would be able to rest easy for a long time.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Well? Whaddya think? Was it cool? Did it suck? Please review! Next chapter coming soon! 


	11. Quidditch

AN: Please review! I'd really appreciate it! And thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far! Disclaimer: I own nothing!  
  
Chapter 11: Quidditch  
  
When Harry arrived back at Hogwarts, he didn't have much time to contemplate Voldemort and tragedy. The first quidditch game of the season was coming up and Angelina was working her team hard. They had practice five times a week, but it was paying off. The team looked better than ever, helped largely by the performance of Ginny Weasley as keeper.  
  
The morning of their first match against Ravenclaw, Harry felt the familiar butterflies that only a quidditch game could bring. He sat down to breakfast with the team. This time it was Angelina making sure everyone ate something  
  
In the locker rooms, Harry put his equipment on quickly as he listened to Angelina's pep talk. "Now team, we have been practicing hard since school began. We have a new addition to our team who is better than we could have ever hoped." At these words, she beamed proudly at Ginny. "I know we can beat this team if we concentrate and give it our all! Whaddya say?" She grinned at the team.  
  
"We'll get em' Angelina! Don't worry!" George shouted enthusiastically.  
  
"Win one for the ol' captain." Fred said, grinning.  
  
Harry headed onto the pitch with the rest of the team feeling a little less nervous. He took his position on the field and watched as Angelina shook hands with Roger Davies. Suddenly, the balls were released. The game had begun! Harry swooped down near the goalposts, looking for the snitch. He listened to Lee Jordan's commentary as he continued the search. "Captain of the Gryffindor team, Angelina Johnson with the quaffle! She passes it to Alicia Spinnet who races towards the goal posts. She throws it and-? Yes! Ten points for Gryffindor. Roger Davies with the quaffle. There's a shot! Goal? No! Ginny Weasley makes an easy save. The rookie keeper is holding her own out there." Harry smiled at Lee's comment. Ginny was rather good.  
  
Harry raised a hand to block the sunlight from his view. So far, he hadn't spotted the small golden ball, but he kept checking to make sure Cho Chang had not gotten to it either. Harry definitely felt different about Cho this year than the last. He was no longer getting a queasy feeling at the sight of her and he felt there was no way that they could get together. He had a feeling that Cedric's death had lent a helping hand in that.  
  
Harry turned his ears back on, straining to hear Lee's commentary over the noise of the stands. "And Angelina Johnson scores again! She's having a great game out there! That makes the score 80-10 Gryffindor." Harry let out a yelp and pumped his fist in the air to show his enthusiasm for his team's excellent performance thus far. "Here comes Roger Davies towards the goalposts! A nice shot, but Ginny Weasley comes up with the save! Nice play by the youngest Weasley! Alicia Spinnet, racing towards the goal! A neat pass back to Katie Bell and SCORE! What a great play by the Gryffindor team! Captain Angelina Johnson has some tricks up her sleeve." Harry again put his full concentration in searching for the snitch, ignoring the commentary, though he couldn't help letting out a cheer every time one of their chasers scored which was pretty often. Wait! There it was! Harry raced towards his own end of the field. Ginny had one eye on him and one on the quaffle, which was zipping between Alicia and Katie. Harry reached out his hand, hoping to enclose it around the snitch. CRACK! Harry was whipped around, doing a 180 on his broomstick as a bludger hit the tail of his broom. The Ravenclaws cheered excitedly for the awesome performance of their beater.  
  
By the time, Harry regained control of his broom; the snitch had once again raced out of his sights. He chanced a look at the scoreboard and was surprised to see the Gryffindor team leading by a sizeable amount. "210-30" Harry whispered to himself. Angelina's tactics sure were working. Harry wouldn't even have to catch the snitch if his chasers kept this up. Harry smiled to himself wryly. As if he would ever just give up on finding it. Harry let out another yell as Katie Bell scored again for the Gryffindor team. The chasers were on fire! Harry couldn't help, but feel that Ginny was playing awesomely as well. After all the Ravenclaws had only a measly 30 points. He grinned at Ginny and for a moment they caught eyes.  
  
Harry was glad that some of the tension they had been feeling the last couple of weeks seemed to be melting away. Quidditch was a good way to take your mind off of things. Harry scanned the skies for the snitch again, watching as George sent a bludger straight towards Cho Chang, who was looking helpless in the middle of the sky. Harry snickered a bit as Cho was forced to hang upside down as the bludger sped past her, barely missing her broom.  
  
He continued his search for the snitch, this time letting the commentary interrupt his concentration. "Wow! What a game those Gryffindors are playing! Angelina Johnson scores again making the score 260-30! Suddenly Harry got a choked up feeling in his throat as Cho Chang headed into a dive. He wasn't sure what she was doing. After all, if she caught the snitch then Ravenclaw would lose. He raced after her, thinking that she must be doing what Krum did at the World Cup. Ending it on her terms.  
  
Harry pushed his broom faster and faster trying to catch up to Cho, but he had barely come up to her ankles when she closed her fist around the tiny gold ball. Harry sighed, feeling defeated even though they had won the game. Lee Jordan was happily announcing the final score. "260-180, Gryffindor! Awesome playing by the Gryffindor team, but a nice grab by Cho Chang as well!"  
  
Harry walked with the other Gryffindors, shoulders sagged. He grinned for the sake of his team, even though he had felt like he had let them down. "Great game guys. Angelina your tactics were amazing and Ginny you made some awesome stops. Sorry about the snitch."  
  
Ginny grinned at him. "That's why were a team Harry. If you miss the snitch once, the rest of us can pick the team up. You don't have to win it for us all the time."  
  
Harry smiled. He supposed she was right. As the team headed back to Gryffindor tower, Harry looked for a sign of Ron or Hermione. He finally found them in the common room, chatting.  
  
When Ron saw them come in, he abruptly stopped talking and came over with his congratulations and compliments. Hermione, too, joined them. The victory party started and Harry was enjoying himself for the first time since Halloween. As he made his way up to the boys' dorms rooms with Ron, well past midnight, Ron shared some interesting information with him.  
  
"Me and Hermione were er.taking a walk." He blushed here and turned his face away from Harry. Harry was pretty sure he knew what Ron was on about and thought maybe he should tell Ron he might try taking Ginny for the same kind of "walk" tomorrow evening. Harry thought about it for a minute and decided against it. "Anyways, we saw Filch and Dumbledore in an empty classroom. We heard a little of what they were saying. It was weird though, we couldn't really understand what they were talking about." Ron said looking puzzled. "Well, what did you hear?" Harry asked curiously. Too many strange things had been going on lately to take any event lightly.  
  
"Dumbledore pointed at something on his desk and said 'we have to raise them hear and hear. These are the weak points.' Then Filch answered with 'yes headmaster.' They stopped talking after that so we just continued our...walk. Harry frowned. He, too, did not understand Dumbledore's words. What was going on?  
  
  
  
  
  
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	12. Hogwarts For The Holidays

AN: Thanks to all my reviewers!  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing!  
  
  
  
Chapter 12: Hogwarts For The Holidays  
  
December was soon upon the castle. Fluffy snow fell from the sky, covering the turrets of the castle and creating a picturesque scene. Harry, Ron and Hermione signed up to stay at the castle throughout the holidays. Harry had been surprised to see Ron stay. His mother had completely recovered physically from Voldemort's attack, but Harry knew that it would take a very long time for the emotional pain to heal.  
  
Harry wasn't too worried about her being lonely on Christmas. Fred, George, and Ginny had gone home for the holidays and he had a sneaking suspicion that Mrs. Weasley had ORDERED Ron to say for Harry's sake.  
  
The castle looked splendid, as it normally did around Christmas. Fifteen Christmas trees had been placed in the Great Hall, each one more amazing than the last. Some were decorated with candles, others with icicles, and even a few with real fairies. Mistletoe hung above some of the doorways and holly was strewn up at various places in the castle. Wreaths were placed on the outside entrances. Harry loved the castle at Christmas. It emitted such a warm, family-like feeling that he had never felt before Hogwarts and the Weasleys. The atmosphere was wonderful.  
  
Harry, Ron, and Hermione soon found that they were the only Gryffindors that had stayed at Hogwarts. Many families, anxious about Voldemort, were happy to have their children back, even if it was only for a week or two.  
  
The trio did not mind. They were able to get warm comfortable chairs by the fire. They didn't have to worry about making too much noise, and they did not have to deal with the annoyance of a sometimes-overcrowded common room.  
  
On Christmas morning, Harry woke up to a familiar voice shouting his name. "Harry! Harry! Wake up, Harry! Come on, its Christmas and its past nine." Harry felt a pillow hit his face, and somewhat reluctantly he rose from his bed. A small pile of packages littered the area by his four- poster.  
  
"Alright, I'm up. How long have you been awake?" Harry expected Ron to answer with "dawn".  
  
"Er..five minutes." Ron smirked.  
  
"Five minutes? You acted like you have been up for hours!" Harry shouted, grinning.  
  
Ron smirked some more and shrugged his shoulders as he began to rip into his presents.  
  
Harry joined him and was delighted with his gifts. Mrs. Weasley had sent him a plain green sweater, a homemade fruitcake, and a card wishing him well. Sirius had sent a new watch to replace the one that had been damaged in the Triwizard tournament last year. Ron had given him a box of chocolate frogs, and Hermione had gotten him a book titled Choose Your Wizarding Career: Everything From Aurors to Quidditch Players! Harry was surprised to find that the book was actually pretty interesting. After all, he really had no idea what he wanted to do after school besides maybe quidditch.  
  
Ron and Harry went down to the common room to find Hermione sleeping on the couch. Ron shook her awake slowly. "Hermione? Why are you sleeping down here?"  
  
"Ah! Oh.it's just you." She shook her head to clear her thoughts.  
  
"Well who did you think it would be?" Ron asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
Hermione smiled. "Well I didn't really expect someone's face to be so..er..close to me when I woke up." She said. Her face and Ron's were turning red and Harry had to try extra hard not to smirk.  
  
"Sorry." Ron whispered, but he too was grinning like an idiot. Harry rolled his eyes.  
  
"One of you guys wanna play me in chess?" He said to break the two up. Any more of this and he thought he might vomit. Sure he was pretty used to it by now, but it was still weird to see your two best friends going all lovey-dovey on each other.  
  
"I'll play you Harry!" Hermione shouted, breaking her and Ron's trance. She sat down across from him.  
  
"Well, are you going to tell us why you were down here?" Ron questioned again, looking a little impatient.  
  
"I fell asleep while I was waiting for the two of you to get your lazy selves out of bed. Normally, I would have just gone up there, but I felt kinda tired so I just laid down." Ron nodded.  
  
A few hours later, Harry, Ron, and Hermione had tired of chess. "Let's go to lunch now. I'm starving." Ron suggested.  
  
They made their way towards the Great Hall, and Harry couldn't help but notice Ron and Hermione's linked hands. When they reached the entrance to the Great Hall, Ron and Hermione, who were walking a little bit ahead of Harry, were greeted with a shout. "Mistletoe! Give her a kiss!" Harry looked for the source of the voice and was surprised to hear the sound coming from the mistletoe itself. Enchanted.I didn't know, he thought.  
  
He looked at Ron and Hermione who were avoiding each other's eyes and blushing, as they stood frozen under the mistletoe. Everyone in the hall had diverted his or her attention to the scene. There were only about five students, but the teachers were glancing at the pair too. Harry was pretty sure they had kissed before, they did go on "walks" after all, but he could imagine how embarrassing it would be kiss in front of teachers and other students. The mistletoe continued to shout. "Kiss her already!" Ron glared up at it. Finally he leaned in and kissed Hermione gently. Hermione seemed surprised that he had done it, but not angry at all. She seemed to be enjoying it.  
  
After a couple seconds the two parted, and hands joined once more they sat at the large table in the center that everyone was sitting at. Once again, Harry was feeling like a third wheel, and he wished Ginny were here to keep him company. Instantly, he regretted his thoughts. Mrs. Weasley needed her children. She had already done so much for him and she had let Ron stay over the Christmas holidays to keep him company.  
  
Harry sat down beside Ron who was staring at Hermione, who was sneaking glances at Ron. It was all very confusing and Harry had a little bit of trouble keeping it straight. He looked at the table before him and his mouth watered at the sight. A delicious turkey had been placed in the center of the table and dish after dish of Harry's favorite foods surrounded it. He forgot about Ron and Hermione for a moment and concentrated on food.  
  
After the meal, the three headed back up to Gryffindor tower. Harry felt full and sleepy, even though it was early in the afternoon. He decided to take a little nap. Hermione and Ron chose to start a game of Exploding Snap as Harry climbed the steps to the boys' dormitories. He collapsed on his bed and slowly drifted off to sleep.  
  
  
  
Harry was creeping along a small path. Where it led, he was not sure. He just knew he had to follow it. When he reached his destination, he hid behind a small bush. He must not be seen. He heard a low ruthless laugh sound from a little in the distance. It was coming closer. Harry made sure he was well hidden before looking out again.  
  
He gasped when he saw the owner of the voice. He could never forget that face, those slits that served as his eyes, and his overall serpent-like appearance. Lord Voldemort. Two men stood in front of him. Harry listened closely to hear what was being said.  
  
"Lucius, Wormtail, you will be responsible for turning the man. He is pathetic. He is weak. He has already been under my control for a long time, but I need you to take care of him now. It will be an easy job." Even Voldemort's voice sounded like a low hiss.  
  
"Yes Master. When will the attack occur?" Harry heard Wormtail's scared voice ask.  
  
"Soon. Soon." Voldemort laughed again. The high, cruel sound filled Harry's head and his scar burned with pain.  
  
"Ahhhhhhhhhh!" Harry jolted from his sleep, looking around the room frantically. It had been a dream. He had to go to Dumbledore. Harry strained his memory to remember the details. Turning the man? The attack? What was he planning? He jumped out of bed, running towards the staircase. He stopped at the sight in the common room.  
  
Ron was holding something in his hands and was whispering softly to Hermione. Harry could barely make out his words. "It's a promise ring. I'll always be here for you Hermione, always."  
  
Hermione looked up at him, her eyes shining with tears. "Thank you Ron. It's the best present I've ever received. I..I love you." Ron stepped back at these words and Harry could tell that it was the first time either of the two had said the words to each other. He wanted to stop watching and go to Dumbledore, he really did, but the scene before him was too compelling. He didn't want to interrupt.  
  
Ron swallowed loudly. Even on the steps, Harry could hear the sound clearly. "I love you too." He brought her close and the two stood together wrapped in each other's arms.  
  
Finally able to tear himself away from them, Harry tiptoed back upstairs into the dorms. He sat on his bed for a few minutes before loudly walking towards the staircase. When he reached the common room, Ron and Hermione had separated and they were each reading books. And I'm supposed to believe this? Harry thought to himself. Ron reading for leisure, yeah right. He does that just about as often as I do.  
  
"Hi Harry!" Hermione shouted, way too perky. "Sleep well?"  
  
While watching Ron and Hermione, Harry had completely forgotten about his dream, but it came back to him in full force now. "Er..no actually. I had a dream. With..Voldemort." Ron stared at him, speechless.  
  
"We have to go see Dumbledore!" Hermione shouted at once. Ron nodded.  
  
"This is really serious Harry!" He practically screamed.  
  
"Really? Because I missed the seriousness of it. I was going to go have a walk on the grounds, maybe go have some pumpkin juice, probably catch up on my correspondence and then maybe, MAYBE I would tell someone." Harry said sarcastically.  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes. "C'mon you two." She led the way out of the portrait hole, walking twice her normal speed. Ron and Harry followed. When they reached the stone gargoyle, Ron let out a frustrated yell.  
  
"Ahhh! We don't know the damn password!" He screamed, kicking the gargoyle.  
  
"Have you forgotten that I'm a prefect? I have the password." Hermione said sounding a lot like Percy, though she ignored Ron's language. "Wool socks!" She shouted and the statue jumped aside, revealing the entrance to Dumbledore's office.  
  
Harry sighed, when he entered the room feeling that he was probably there more than any other student to have ever gone to Hogwarts. Dumbledore was sitting in his rocking chair, his eyes closed. He looked to be sleeping, but without opening his eyes he said, "What can I do for you Mr. Potter?" He sounded old and weary, not at all like the lively, energetic man that Harry had grown accustomed too.  
  
"I had a dream Professor." Dumbledore's eyes snapped open at these words and he turned sharply to face Harry.  
  
"Please, all three of you sit down." They did so, choosing chairs placed convienently across from the rocking chair. "Now, Harry, this is very important. Tell me everything you remember from this dream.  
  
"Well I was walking down this path in some sort of woods. I didn't recognize anything. I just knew I should follow the path. I heard someone laughing. I reached a clearing and I kept hearing the same laughter, drawing closer. I saw Voldemort. He was there with Mr. Malfoy and Wormtail. He said it was there job to turn the man. He said it would be easy; that he had been taking care of the guy for a while and now it was there turn. Then Wormtail asked about an attack, he asked when the attack would happen. Voldemort said soon. Do you know what they were talking about, Professor?" Harry finished, hoping that Dumbledore would have some answers.  
  
Dumbledore studied Harry closely before replying. "There are no concrete answers where Voldemort is concerned Harry. I have an idea or two, but one cannot be sure." Harry sighed, feeling rather defeated.  
  
After a few more minutes of pointless discussion, Dumbledore sent Harry, Ron, and Hermione back to Gryffindor with instructions, to not tell anyone else about his dream. Harry had asked if he could write Sirius. Dumbledore had shaken his head.  
  
"I'm afraid Sirius is rather busy at the moment. He really has no time for letters, but I will be sure to bring him up to date the next time I see him." Harry had understood, but that didn't stop him from being frustrated.  
  
Harry had learned from his previous year that strange occurrences usually meant Voldemort. A lot of unusual things had been happening. Cryptic conversations, people acting differently, and now the dream. Where was Voldemort planning to attack? Harry had a sickening feeling that he would not be left in the dark for long.  
  
  
  
  
  
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	13. The Luckiest Guy in the World

AN: Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I hope you enjoy this chapter!  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing!  
  
Chapter 13: The Luckiest Guy in the World  
  
The remainder of the Holidays passed by in a rush and too soon Harry found himself back in classes. The rest of the school was back in Hogwarts and once again life turned extremely busy. Quidditch practices had started again, and Angelina was working the team harder than ever to prepare for their upcoming match against Slytherin.  
  
It seemed that their teachers also wanted to see them sweat as they were piling on the homework more than ever. As Professor McGonagall frequently reminded them, O.W.L.S were to be taken in six months. Though this sounded like quite a long time to Harry, their Professors seemed to regard this as a short period of time. Hermione took this approach too. She was already drawing up a study schedule for herself and insisted that Harry and Ron do the same. When they had shown no initiative, she had taken it upon herself to do it for them.  
  
Harry felt like he no longer had time to worry about Voldemort and whatever scheme he was hatching next, but he felt like he carried the concern anyway. It was always there, as if he were carrying a 20-lb weight around with him.  
  
The only good thing Harry could see about the end of the holidays, was the return of Ginny. He felt like spending time with her made all of his apprehension vanish. She made him laugh, and for that he was grateful. He was worried that Ginny would become a target of Voldemort as well, but Ginny had pointed out that she already was. Her mother fought against the Dark Side, and that was enough reason for Voldemort. Harry was glad she still wanted to spend time with him. Without her company, he didn't know what he would do.  
  
A week after the holidays had ended, Harry and Ginny sat playing a game of chess. Harry checked his new watch and was surprised to see that it was past one o' clock in the morning. Ron and Hermione had gone to bed a while ago, and the common room was now empty except for the two of them. The fire was lit dimly, raining them in light, though the rest of the room remained quite dark. Harry was winning, and he could feel a small excitement in him at that fact that he might actually win a game of chess. He stared across at Ginny, waiting for her to make a move. He liked to watch her when they played. Her hair hung in a loose ponytail, a few strands dangling in front of her face. Her lips were pursed in an expression of concentration, and her eyebrows were scrunched making her look rather...well...cute. She looked up to see Harry staring at her intently, and immediately Harry felt stupid.  
  
He looked down at the chessboard, cheeks turning red. He hadn't imagined that a person could feel this embarrassed, but he was. She had caught him studying her, and it brought back some awkward memories from earlier quidditch practices.  
  
She moved one of her pieces, but Harry didn't really feel like concentrating anymore. He just wanted to go up to bed and forget about his embarrassment. He carelessly moved his castle; not even seeing that he put it right in the path of her queen. She smiled up at him, realizing his obvious mistake as she took the castle. He sighed and chocked this game up to another loss. Soon the game had ended, Ginny being victorious. "I knew I could beat you." She said playfully. They both stood up, though neither made a move towards the staircases.  
  
He smiled at her, and wondered if she knew how she drove him crazy. How her smile made him go nuts, how the slightest comment could throw off all of his concentration, how her sense of humor made him laugh, how just spending time with her could brighten up his day. Right then and there, he couldn't help but stare at her and this time he didn't feel very embarrassed at all.  
  
"What is it?" She asked him, grinning. "Do I have something on my face?" Ginny laughed and looked at him curiously, clearly waiting for him to tell her what was so fascinating.  
  
He was silent for a few moments before he found the courage to speak. He wanted to tell her how he felt. "You're a great person, you know that?" His breath caught in his throat as he realized how stupid the words sounded. She didn't seem to mind though. She was smiling at least. Harry felt braver by her encouraging smile. He reached out to tuck one of the stray strands of hair behind her ear, but stopped halfway there. What if she didn't really like him? What if she just wanted a friend in him? She had asked him to the Halloween Ball, but that didn't really mean anything.maybe she had just wanted to go as friends.  
  
Ginny grabbed his hand that had been on its way to her hair and pulled him a little closer. At that moment Harry stopped thinking and started focusing on the person in front of him. He liked her, maybe even loved her, though he wasn't sure of that yet.  
  
Then, without considering the repercussions of his actions, without thinking about Ginny's response, without feeling embarrassed he leaned in and kissed her gently. He was amazed to feel her lips moving against his. He was kissing Ginny, and it was the greatest thing in the world. She ran her fingertips up and down his arm as they kissed, sending shivers throughout his body. He played with her long ginger hair, amazed at its softness. They continued to kiss, and Harry was amazed at all the sensations he was feeling.  
  
Suddenly a voice interrupted them. "Ew!" Harry broke apart from Ginny quickly looking up at the boys' staircase to see whom it was. Ron. Harry groaned in his mind, thinking about Ron's probable reaction. "What are you doing with my sister, Harry?" He shouted, obviously feeling disgusted.  
  
Harry felt his face burn. It was bad enough that they had been caught, but by Ron was probably the worst-case scenario. Well, maybe Fred and George would be worse.  
  
"Well?" Ron's voice again broke through his thoughts.  
  
Harry's embarrassment was fading, and he was surprised to find himself becoming angry. "What did it look like we were doing?" He asked sarcastically.  
  
Ron seemed a little shocked at first, but it soon wore off as he glared at the pair of them. "Snogging!" He yelled. Harry sincerely hoped that Ron had not woken everyone in Gryffindor tower.  
  
Harry opened his mouth to speak, but shut it when he heard Ginny's voice. "You know what, Ron? I'm sick of you! What's your problem? Is there something wrong with Harry and I liking each other? You're not my parent, Ron, nor Harry's! You can't tell us what to do!" She fumed. Harry was almost expecting to see steam rising from her fiery red hair.  
  
"Well Sorry! It's a little awkward for me!" At this Harry felt indignation. And Ron didn't think it was awkward for him that he and Hermione were dating?  
  
He voiced this opinion out loud. "It's a little awkward for me." He said quietly. "You and Hermione being together. I feel left out sometimes and maybe even a little jealous." He grinned wryly. "But for the most part I try not to let it bother me."  
  
Ron studied him for a minute, and then turned his gaze on his sister before speaking. "Yeah.well I guess you're right. Sorry. I guess I just freaked out seeing you two.well.you know." He smirked and Harry was relieved. "Just try to refrain from public displays of affection from now on, okay?"  
  
Harry laughed, and punched Ron in the shoulder. "You should talk! I think I almost vomited when you and Hermione." Here he changed his voice up to a higher pitch. ".were under the mistletoe." Harry batted his eyelashes for effect. Ron snickered and shoved Harry in a brotherly fashion. With that Ron walked back upstairs, sneaking a few glances at them as he made his way towards the dormitories. When Harry heard his footsteps grow quieter and the faint sound of a door shutting he turned back to Ginny.  
  
"Well I guess we better get to bed." He whispered.  
  
Ginny smiled at him. "Yeah." Neither of them made a move to go towards their respective staircase.  
  
Harry closed his eyes for a second, suddenly feeling sleepy. He opened them once again to see Ginny leaning toward him. She kissed him on the cheek. "Goodnight, Harry." She said.  
  
"Goodnight." He replied. He watched her walk up to the girls' dormitories, looking back at him before she walked down the hallway leading to her room.  
  
Harry sighed. He went up to his own dorms. Ron had his curtains shut and Harry suspected that he had gone back to sleep. He changed into his pajamas, and lay down in his own four-poster. Harry knew that he was not always fortunate being Harry Potter and everything, but right then, he felt like the luckiest guy in the world.  
  
  
  
  
  
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	14. Explosion

AN: Thanks for the reviews, guys! I appreciate it! If you want me to read your story, just leave it in the review and I would happily read and review your story as well! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Chapter 14: Explosion

Harry woke up the next morning feeling elated. At that moment he was not Harry Potter, the boy who lived. He was not Harry Potter, Voldemort's nemesis. He was just Harry Potter, the 15-year-old boy who was euphoric at getting his first kiss, especially by a girl that he really liked. 

            He jumped out of bed, whistling happily as he pulled on his school robes. Ron eyed him suspiciously. He obviously knew what Harry was so happy about, but chose not to comment. Still feeling extremely cheerful, Harry followed Ron down the steps, to the common room. Both boys surveyed the room, each looking for a particular girl. 

            Ron found Hermione first. " Ready to go to breakfast?" Harry heard him ask her, as he continued hi search for Ginny.

            "Sure." Hermione's voice was barley above a whisper and she too seemed a bit preoccupied. Harry stopped looking for a moment to glance at Hermione questioningly. She, however, did not make eye contact with him. Her eyes continued to scan the common room. Harry saw her smile and he followed her gaze to see Ginny coming down the girl's staircase. 

            _Oh no, Ginny must have told Hermione about last night. _Harry thought to himself as Hermione and Ginny shared a knowing grin. He blushed as Hermione's eyes met with his. He really wished that she didn't know about him and Ginny. Hermione raised her eyebrows twice in a suggestive and certainly un-Hermione like manner. _She must be picking up Ron's sense of humor._ Harry thought. He looked down at his sneakers as Ron and Hermione exited through the portrait hole, down to breakfast. _How humiliating, I-_

Harry's thoughts were interrupted by someone's hand interlocking with his. His breath caught in his throat as he looked up to see Ginny smiling at him. He grinned back, suddenly not caring who knew about their relationship. They went down to breakfast, hand-in-hand. 

            Harry took a seat by Ron and began to pile sausages onto his plate. He was busy stuffing his face when the mail arrived. Hedwig came swooping down to him with his copy of the Daily Prophet. Another owl, which looked similar to Draco Malfoy's eagle owl, came with a letter. He set the paper aside, and began to rip open the letter. 

            _Dear Harry,_

_  
            Sorry for being unavailable these last couple of months. Remus and I have been busy. It is once again safe to write now. Dumbledore has informed me about your dream and scar pain. I hope that I don't have to remind you to keep constant watch and pay attention to everything that is going on. Strange things have been happening Harry and there is no doubt in my mind that Voldemort will attack openly and viciously before the year is out. I say this not to worry you, but to make sure you don't get too careless. _

_            I have been doing fine, so don't waste your worries on me. I cannot tell you where I am or what I am doing, but know that you can always come to me when you have a problem. My best to Ron and Hermione._

                                                                                                            Sirius

            Harry smiled at the letter, feeling eager to send a reply. He passed the letter onto Ron and Hermione, being careful to not let Ginny see. With the letter still on his mind, Harry opened the Daily Prophet, surprised to see the front page consumed by one story. The headline read: "Two Ministry Cursebuilders Gone Missing. Mystery Surrounds the Occurrence." Harry scanned the article. The cursebuilders had been missing for two weeks. "Fudge denies reports that this is the work of You-Know Who!" Harry read aloud with extreme indignation. Ron and Hermione looked at him curiously.

            "What is it?" Ron asked him, looking at the Daily Prophet in his hands. By the deadened look in his eyes, Harry could tell that Ron was thinking about the day when the Daily Prophet had brought news of an attack on his parents. 

            Harry handed the paper to him. Hermione rested her head on Ron's shoulder to read the article with him. "Dammit!" Ron shouted as he handed the paper to Ginny.

            "Ron!" Hermione scolded, but it seemed out of habit, because she looked furious herself.

            Ron threw his toast back on his plate violently and shook his head. "I can't believe Fudge is still trying to pretend that nothing is going on." He muttered. He raked a hand through his hair and Harry could see lines of worry etched on his face. Hermione's face showed an identical state of nervousness. Ginny looked scared. Harry looked at each one of their faces in turn hoping that he could protect the people he loved.

            He looked down at the paper again wondering if this story had any correlation with the other strange things that had been going on, but he really couldn't see how that would be. 

            His cherry disposition had changed to one of sadness as he read about the cursebuilders. They had been fairly young, especially by Wizarding standards. Thirty-eight and forty-two. Both male. Both married. One with three kids, the other with one. Harry felt intense sadness for their families and wondered if the children would ever get to see their fathers again. Not for the first time, a rage began to build up in Harry at the thought of Voldemort and all of the families he had torn apart. 

            "C'mon Harry. We better get to Defense Against the Dark Arts." Hermione reminded him, snapping him out of his trance. 

            "Alright. Er…why don't you and Ron go? I'll catch you up in a minute." He said, attempting to look innocent. 

            Hermione smiled at him knowingly. "Okay Harry. She tugged Ron along with her, as he kept looking back sending Harry and Ginny funny looks.

            Harry turned to Ginny once he saw that Ron and Hermione had exited the Great Hall. He hugged her gently. "See you later, Gin." He whispered.

            "Bye, Harry. See you at lunch." She flashed him a winning smile and Harry grinned back.

            He jogged to Miss Figg's classroom, hoping that he would not be late. When he walked into the room, he grimaced as he saw Miss Figg already talking to the class.

            "Nice of you to join us Mr. Potter. Something keeping you?" Harry blushed furiously.

            "More like, _someone_ keeping him." Ron said loudly. The class snickered as Harry's face turned so red it resembled a tomato. He glared at Ron, who was smirking. Harry looked at Hermione to see her hand up against her mouth, trying to suppress laughter. He rolled his eyes and took his seat.

            One boring lecture and three pages of notes later, Harry found himself walking towards the potions dungeon with Ron and Hermione at his side. "Why'd you have to go and say that, eh? He asked Ron, referring to his comment in Defense class. He wasn't really mad anymore…it had actually been kinda funny.

            "Hey, Miss Figg left you wide open! It would have been an insult to my sense of humor not to say anything." Harry and Hermione laughed at this. 

            "Hey Weasley, Granger!" Harry heard a cold drawl sound from outside the dungeons. He didn't need to look to know whose voice it was.  "I heard about the relationship, congratulations!" He paused and grinned maliciously. "You two belong together. The pauper and the mudblood!"

            Ron's face was turning red, and Harry was pretty sure it wasn't from embarrassment. Ron looked angrier than Harry had ever seen him. Harry was surprised when his friend calmly took a step back and said, "Sod off Malfoy," before turning his back to Malfoy to head into the potions room.

            "I heard about your parents, Weasley!" Malfoy continued, obviously disappointed by Ron's placid reaction. "Your father deserved to die, it's just a pity they didn't get your mothe-" Malfoy stopped abruptly as Ron came charging at him.

            Neither Harry nor Hermione had time to stop him, and really Harry wasn't sure if he wanted to. Malfoy's taunt about Mr. Weasley rang in his ears. Ron was on Malfoy in a second. He tackled him to the ground and got one good punch in before Snape came out to see what all the commotion was about.

            "What's going on here?" He shouted. Harry was amazed to see that Ron did not stop his assault on Malfoy at Snape's appearance. "Weasley! Get off of him!" Ron completely ignored his words and continued to punch Malfoy. Malfoy had begun to fight back as the shock finally wore off. He punched back at Ron ferociously. 

            Snape must have decided to take action himself. Harry heard him mutter "Wingardium Leviosa" and point his wand at Ron. Ron flew up in the air. He flailed his arms and legs for a minute before floating still in the air, breathing hard. Snape led him back down to the ground.

            "Do you have an explanation, Mr. Weasley?" Ron remained silent as he stared Snape in the eye. Perhaps he was looking for a hint of compassion that was not there. "I asked you a question, Weasley!" Snape roared. 

            Ron muttered something inaudible. "I can't hear you Weasley." Ron looked up at Snape, hatred clearly displayed in his eyes. 

"HE INSULTED MY FATHER, WHO JUST SO HAPPENS TO BE DEAD! AND I DON'T CARE HOW MANY POINTS YOU TAKE OFF OF GRYFFINDOR OR HOW MANY DETENTIONS YOU GIVE ME! I'M NOT GOING TO LET HIM TALK ABOUT MY PARENTS! GO AHEAD! YELL AT ME YOU CRUEL HEARTLESS BASTARD!" Hermione gasped at Ron's words. It seemed the entire class was holding its breath. Even Malfoy did not wear his usual smirk. Instead he stared at Ron in what could only be an expression of awe. 

Snape seemed to consider Ron for a moment before he said icily, "To Dumbledore's office, Weasley." He turned his head sharply to the class. "Get inside the classroom. Review last weeks notes. I will be with you shortly." Harry followed Hermione into the dungeon silently as Ron pursued Snape. 

Harry joined Hermione at a table in the back of the room. She still seemed shocked at Ron's behavior though Harry could hardly blame her. What had happened back there? Ron had finally blown up. Years of Malfoy's taunting had been building up, and the latest gibe about his parents was enough to send Ron over the edge.

"I can't believe what just happened." Hermione said. "I guess Ron finally exploded." Harry nodded in silent agreement. Not much else was said between the two. They were both lost in thought. Snape returned to class ten minutes later, unaccompanied by Ron. 

The potions lesson dragged on. All Harry wanted to do was get back to the common room and talk to Ron. When the bell finally sounded, ending the potions lesson, Harry and Hermione ran all the way back up to Gryffindor tower to find Ron sitting in one of the comfy chairs by the fire. They both took seats in chairs beside him. For a while, none of them spoke. After about twenty minutes, it seemed Hermione could no longer stand the silence. "Well?" She asked. 

"I only got a detention. Dumbledore said that Malfoy was at fault as well and he would talk to him later, but he reckons I shouldn't have pounced on Malfoy." Ron grinned at them.

Hermione and Harry smiled back at him. "Oh Ron! Your lip is bleeding!" Hermione cried out, leaning over towards him. 

"Oh its nothing, really it doesn't hurt. Besides, Malfoy definitely came off worse in that fight." Hermione still looked a tad worried as she examined his lip closely. 

            "I'll be back in a minute." She said and rushed out the portrait hole. She returned a minute holding damp cloth. 'This should help." She handed the cloth to Ron who took it gratefully and put it where his lip was hurting him. They watched as he clumsily tried to clean the blood off that was now trickling down his chin. "Oh here, let me do it!" Hermione stated, exasperated at his attempts. 

She took the cloth and gently dabbed it on his chin all the way up to his lip. Ron was looking into her eyes and Hermione stopped for a minute looking deep into his. They stared at each other for a few moments. _Any more of this and I'm going to vomit_. Harry thought disgustedly. Hermione broke their trance, reaching into her robes for her wand. She pointed it at Ron's lip and whispered, " _Sealio_." The wound sealed up. Ron put a finger to his lip and smiled. 

"Your amazing, you know that?" He said so quietly that Harry barely caught the words. They seemed to have forgotten that he was there.

A second later his suspicions were confirmed as Hermione leaned down and kissed Ron. Instead of breaking apart quickly, they seemed to just be getting into it. Annoyed, Harry cleared his throat loudly. Hermione gasped and separated from Ron as quickly as physically possible. Ron let out a groan of protest, but he too just seemed to be noticing Harry's prescence. Both of their faces were red. 

"Erm…Sorry Harry." Hermione whispered, obviously very embarrassed. 

"Its okay." Harry said grinning. "'Just try to refrain from public displays of affection around me.'" 

"I hate having my words quoted back to me." Ron said, grinning.

Once again, they launched into discussion about the day's events in potions. Seamus and Dean joined them and soon the entire house was laughing and patting Ron on the back for a job well done. 

"It must have been so satisfying to call Snape a bastard!" Seamus said, gleefully. He rubbed his hands together. "That's going to be my goal. To call Snape a bastard before the end of seventh year." They all laughed, but Harry couldn't help but feel that being Voldemort's main enemy, he might not live to see seventh year.

Well Whaddya think? Was it good? Did it suck? Please Review!


	15. A Parent's Example

AN: Thanks for reviews! You guys are the greatest!

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Chapter 15: A Parent's Example

Three days after the now famous "Snape incident", Ron was called to do his detention. When eight o' clock came around, Ron left the common room through the portrait hole, muttering curse words under his breath. 

            Harry was busy trying to reply to Sirius. He wasn't exactly sure what he wanted to say. He knew he wanted to tell him about Ginny, but he wasn't exactly sure how to word it. He also wondered if he should ask questions about Voldemort. _Nah, I better not_. Harry thought to himself, _it would probably only depress him. What Sirius needs is a nice letter about normal things like quidditch and…girls._ Harry smiled at the thought of Ginny. He paused and began to write. 

            Dear Sirius, 

_            It's nice to hear you are doing well. I am also doing fine. We beat Ravenclaw in our first match, even though I did not catch the snitch. Gryffindor's chasers are the best. Tomorrow is our match against Slytherin and I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. I hope I get the snitch tomorrow; Malfoy needs to be taught a lesson. _

Harry thought about going into detail about the "Snape incident", but decided against it. Ron might not want him to share the story with Sirius. He continued to write. 

            _I know this is going to sound stupid, but I really don't know how else to say it. Ginny Weasley and I are "together". _

Harry looked at the words on the parchment, thinking they sounded even dumber on paper than they did in his head. He sighed and did not change the wording. 

_We went to the Halloween Ball together. She's a really great girl and I like her a lot._

Harry paused, wondering if he should say something about the kiss. He decided that he would. After all that would be something he might tell his father and wasn't that the purpose of a godfather? To answer all his dumb questions and listen to him ramble on about things. Harry smiled. He was happy that he had Sirius. 

We even kissed about a week ago, though Ron walked in on us. He wasn't too happy, but in the end Ginny and I made him see reason. Well I better get going. Say hi to Professor Lupin for me. 

_                                                                                                Harry_

Harry walked up the owlery alone. Hermione had been too immersed in a book to accompany him, Ginny was doing homework, and Ron was still in detention. He didn't mind the time by himself. It seemed he got less and less of it these days. 

He tied the letter to Hedwig and looked out at the starry sky. Harry sighed. He wasn't really one for wishes. After all, he didn't believe in stupid things like divination, but he felt the current situation in the Wizarding world deserved a wish. He looked at a single bright star in the sky, and whispered, "Please make Voldemort go away. Please let him die. I want to be a normal kid. I want my friends to able to be normal kids. I want the pain to stop. I want everyone to be safe."

Harry felt tears welling up in his eyes. It was too much, it was all too much. How were they supposed to deal with all this when they were just teenagers? He sorted through his conflicted thoughts, and wondered how his parents had dealt with it. He remembered what Sirius had told him about his parents, in some of his letters over the summer. His parents had been happy, even when Voldemort was around. They had done their best to not let him get in the way of their lives. With new resolve, Harry brushed the tears off of his cheeks, and vowed to never think of Voldemort when it was unnecessary again. 

That night, Harry and Hermione waited up for Ron. Harry's quidditch nerves were kicking in and he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep if he went up to bed. Ron came through the portrait hole a little after midnight. They looked up at him expectantly, waiting for him to launch into his usual tirade about Snape.

They were not disappointed. "I can't believe what he made me do! I had to boil and prep sixty sheep's brains for Snape's Seventh Year classes tomorrow." He let out a frustrated groan. "It took forever and it was so boring."

Harry nodded in sympathy and a few minutes later walked up to the boys' dormitories by himself. Ron and Hermione had decided to stay up for a game of chess, but Harry thought that he should get some sleep for the next day's events. It took awhile for Harry to nod off, but when he finally did he was out cold, his dreams filled with quidditch.

~*~*~

The next day, Harry awoke at 9am to Ron shaking him. "Get up you lazy git! You have to get breakfast before the game."

"Wha…?" Harry asked stupidly, still half asleep. 

Ron frowned. "Quidditch! You know, that game where you fly on broomsticks." Harry shook his head and grinned.

"Thanks for the explanation." He said mockingly.

Ron smirked. "Anytime." Harry soon found himself sitting in the Great Hall for breakfast, Ron and Hermione to his left and Ginny to his right. He didn't feel very hungry as he picked at a piece of toast, which Angelina Johnson had forced into his hands.

"You need your strength today, Harry!" She had shouted exuberantly, sounding much like Oliver Wood. 

"Hey why's there a big crowd around the Slytherin table?" Fred Weasley asked, looking curious.

"Dunno." His twin answered him. Harry turned around in his seat. It was true. Many students from the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables had flocked over to the Slytherin table and were peering at something closely. Suddenly, Harry saw Justin Finch-Fletchey, a Hufflepuff boy in his year, making his way towards the Gryffindors.

"Did you lot see that, yet?" He asked excitedly.

Fred Weasley raised an eyebrow. "Define, that." 

Justin smiled before answering. "Draco Malfoy's got a Thunderbolt! Can you believe that! I hear it's twice as fast as the Firebolt!" He shouted, looking at Harry.

Ron looked annoyed. "That's great." He said dryly. "We're happy for him."

Justin looked at Ron for a second, before a look of comprehension came over his face. "Don't worry." He said with an easy grin. "I'm rooting for Gryffindor at today's match." He gave them one last smile before disappearing to the Hufflepuff table. 

"We're so glad we have your support!" Ron muttered with fake enthusiasm. "Can you believe that? Of course Malfoy needs the best broom gold can buy, with no skill what else does he have going for him?" 

The Gryffindors laughed loudly. They all went back to breakfast and no one seemed too worried about the fact that the opposing seeker had the fastest broom on the planet. Harry, on the other hand, was feeling very anxious. If it came down to a dive, then Malfoy might get the better of him. He gulped nervously, but thankfully no one noticed. He set his toast down, not feeling hungry at all.

About a half hour later, Harry and the rest of the Gryffindor quidditch team stood in the locker rooms, listening to Angelina's pre-game pep talk. "Team!" She shouted, making them all jump. "We played an excellent game against Ravenclaw, but that's no reason to get complacent!" She said fiercely. "We need to win! We need to slaughter those slimly Slytherins!" Angelina yelled pumping her fist into the air. 

"Whoa, too much alliteration." George said, shaking his head. Angelina glared at him. "I was just kidding." He said quickly, holding up his hands in mock innocence. 

With that, they ran out onto the field and took their positions. Angelina shook hands with the Slytherin captain. He glared at her maliciously. "Game on!" Harry heard Madam Hooch shout as the balls were released into the air. 

Harry felt a violent shove to his broom. He looked behind him to see Malfoy rocketing off in the other direction. The Thunderbolt sure was fast, but Harry did not waste time on gaping. He darted through the crowd of players on the field, dodging bludgers as they whooshed past him, frantically looking for the snitch. 

           A few of Lee Jordan's comments did not escape his ears. "Angelina Johnson speeding towards the goalposts! She passes to Katie Bell, but oh! The play is broken up by the Slytherin defense. Slytherin is playing decently against the Gryffindor tactics. It remains a 0-0 game." 

            Harry kept scanning the skies, hoping for a sign of the tiny golden ball. It was imperative that he see the snitch first. With Malfoy's superior broom, Harry would not be able to catch up if Malfoy was in the lead. 

            Harry glanced at Malfoy, and then did a double take as he saw Malfoy heading into a dive. Harry's heart sank as he urged his broom to race after Malfoy even though he knew it was hopeless. Malfoy smirked back at Harry before reaching his hand out.

            CRACK! Harry started at the noise. A bludger sent by one of the Weasleys had hit Draco's hand. A few of his fingers seemed to be broken. The injury looked similar to Harry's own, in second year. But most importantly, the bludger had stopped Malfoy from closing his hand around the snitch.

            The Gryffindor section of the stands cheered with enthusiasm. Harry listened to Lee Jordan's remarks as he watched Malfoy grimace in pain. "OH! Nice play by George Weasley! He just saved the game for Gryffindor! C'mon Potter, find the snitch!"

            Focusing harder than ever, Harry examined the sky, looking for the tiniest golden glint. Malfoy, it seemed, had set aside his pain for the time being and was busy looking for the snitch as well. Harry needed to throw off Malfoy's concentration.

            Harry stared hard at a spot, towards the middle of the pitch and began to dive. As predicted, Malfoy came after him. Harry put all his thought into his dive. He had to pull out at the correct time, so Malfoy would crash into the ground just as Lynch had done at the Quidditch World Cup, a couple summers ago. Harry imagined Krum's flawless movement in his head and pulled out at the perfect moment. The only trouble was, Malfoy had not followed. He had pulled out of the dive a second before Harry had. 

            Harry swore under his breath. He had been working on the Wronski Feint for some time, but for the life of him he could not get it right. He let his disappointment go for the time being as he searched the skies for the snitch. He listened to Lee's commentary hoping to hear the score. 

            "Oh! Nice save by Ginny Weasley! She is really on today! Thanks to that fabulous save, Ginny keeps this a scoreless match! Slytherin has been successful, thus far, at shutting down the Gryffindor chasers." He sounded rather gloomy at his last comment. 

            And suddenly, Harry saw it. Small, golden, and round. It's little wings fluttering, tauntingly. He dove. He sped past Malfoy and heard the boy give a shout. "Nice try, Potter!" Harry smiled. Malfoy thought he was feinting! Halfway through the dive, Malfoy must have realized that Harry was not playing a trick.  Even with his first-class broomstick, Malfoy was too far behind to catch up. Harry reached his arm out and enclosed the snitch in his fist.

            He raised it in triumph and his teammates came over, congratulating him. Harry head Lee shouting. "Harry Potter gets the snitch and ends the match! 150-0, Gryffindor! Ginny Weasley gets the shut out! Nice, grab Potter!"

            Ron and Hermione came onto the field with their own congratulations. Ron was first. "Ah! Awesome catch Harry! Did you see Malfoy's face? He thought you were feinting!" He grinned. At that moment, Ginny rushed over to join them. "And you!" Ron continued, grinning. "Ginny you were great! That second save…I thought it was in for sure." 

            Harry smiled at his friend's enthusiasm. "Yeah, you were great, Gin." He said truthfully. Ginny's performance had been flawless.  

            Hermione was glowing. For a rare moment, she too was showing great enthusiasm for quidditch and Gryffindor's huge win. "You both played very well." She said excitedly, nodding at Harry and Ginny. Talk of the match continued for a while, and they returned to Gryffindor to see that Fred and George had already started a loud and raucous victory party. They joined in on the festivities, and for once Harry felt he was having a carefree time. Not one time did he think of Voldemort's name. Not one time did he worry about the events in the world. Perhaps he was finally learning from his parents' example. 

Well Whaddya think? Was it good? Did it suck? Please review!


	16. Simple Things

            AN: Sorry this took so long. School's been keeping me busy. Thanks to everyone who reviewed!

            Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Chapter 16: Simple Things

Harry's elation at beating Slytherin lasted the entire week. Nothing felt better than crushing Malfoy in a quidditch match. So it was with unusual enthusiasm, that Harry made his way up to North Tower for divination with Ron by his side.  They were discussing a particular save Ginny had made in the beginning of the game. 

            Soon they were sitting in Trelawney's odd classroom, listening to her go on about astrology and its connection to events in the world. "As you can see…" She whispered mystically. "The conjunction of Jupiter and Venus signals that misery will come from an unknown source."

            Ron groaned. "Our misery doesn't come from an unknown source. It comes from this class!" Harry snorted and worked to keep a straight face. 

            "As you can see," Professor Trelawney continued. "Mars is brighter than any other planet which indicates…" Harry started to sink into a stupor as he often did when in his divination class. He wasn't sleeping exactly, just resting. 

            Suddenly, he realized someone was trying to get his attention. "Mr. Potter!" Harry opened his eyes and saw Professor Trelawney's eyes blazing as she glared at him. 

            "Er….sorry. I was just…er…concentrating on what you just said!" Harry finished breathlessly, congratulating himself on coming up with a fairly good explanation in such a short period of time. 

            "Which was what, Mr. Potter?" Harry gulped. He should have been prepared for that one.

            "Something about Mars?" He asked hopefully.

            "No, Mr. Potter." She looked sternly at him before continuing, "I was saying that you, more than anyone should be paying attention to whatever glances into the future my inner eye can provide for you." Ron began snickering, but Harry kicked him under the table to shut him up. "Your situation with the Dark Lord is cause for great concern. You should do better to listen to your fate!" She snapped. After this small episode, Divination went along normally. Ron and Harry soon met up with Hermione at dinner. 

            "I'm so 'appy it's Friday!" Ron said, his mouth stuffed full of food. He swallowed before continuing. "Do you want to go visit Hagrid tomorrow? We haven't been to see him in ages." Harry and Hermione agreed this was a good idea and Harry found himself very much looking forward to tomorrow. It had been too long since they had talked to Hagrid. 

                                                                                    ~*~*~

            The next morning, Harry, Ron, and Hermione went to visit Hagrid after breakfast. When they arrived at his cabin, Hagrid greeted them cheerily. 

            "Nice ter see you three! Where've ya been all year!" He grinned at them and ushered them inside. He promptly served them rock cakes and tea. They all politely refused the rock cakes, but took some tea. "So how's yer classes been goin'?" Hagrid asked them.

            "Er…alright." Harry muttered, not really feeling to enthusiastic about them. 

            "Pretty good." Hermione said at once, smiling, "Transfiguration is wonderful. It's nice to be learning things that have a practical use." Harry and Ron looked at each other. Harry was thinking about an instance when they would ever need to change a cat into a cloak and he was pretty sure that Ron was pondering the same thing. 

            "I almost forgot!" Hagrid shouted. He clapped a hand onto Harry's shoulder. "I think some congratulations are in order here. I saw the match on Saturday, Harry, and you played real well." Harry smiled as they discussed the game in further detail. He felt so happy just talking and having a good time with his friends. He wasn't sure of it was just the good events that had been going on lately or Hagrid's cheery disposition, but he was feeling rather giddy at the moment. Not for the first time, Harry thought about the special father-like connection he had with Hagrid. It had been Hagrid that had rescued him from the Dursleys' and showed him the Wizarding world. Grinning up at Hagrid with admiration, Harry wondered what he would do without him. 

            After their visit, Harry, Ron and Hermione decided to go up to Gryffindor tower to relax. Ron immediately challenged Hermione to a chess match and Harry ran upstairs to get the book that Hermione had given him for Christmas. When he walked into his dormitory, Hedwig was waiting for him. He smiled and freed her from the letter. He was happy that she had delivered it here and not the Great Hall. Harry had written some personal things in his letter and he wasn't sure that he wanted Ron and Hermione to see Sirius's reply. 

            Quickly he ripped open the letter and read:

            _Dear Harry,_

            _I'm glad to hear that everything is well with you. I hope you did well in your match against Slytherin! You have to tell me all about it in your reply._

_ It seems that teenage love is happily blossoming around Hogwarts. _

            Harry blushed. He could just imagine the grin Sirius had been wearing when he wrote those words. 

            _Seriously, I'm happy for you. I remember my first girlfriend at school (one of many of course). I won't go into details, but if you ever need a "place" the astronomy tower and the charms classroom are almost always empty. _

            Harry laughed this time, though he was still blushing. Now he was VERY happy that Ron and Hermione had not seen it. 

_The fight against the Dark Side continues. We are doing everything we can to find out when Voldemort plans to attack. Give my best to Ron and Hermione._

_                                                                                                            Sirius_

            Harry smiled, glad for the nonchalant letter from Sirius. He liked it best when they wrote each other about normal things. He grabbed a quill to start his letter. He wanted to tell Sirius about every minute detail of the game. Almost an hour later, Harry had finished with his letter and was tying it to Hedwig's leg when Hermione came bursting into the room. 

            Immediately, Harry felt alarm. Something terrible must have happened for her to make an entrance into the boys' dorm room, but on further inspection of her face, Harry could see she looked quite happy, extremely happy. "What is it?" He asked, still feeling a little tense. 

            Hermione jumped in the air and yelled, "I beat him, Harry! I beat him! Finally!"

            He thought for a moment, wondering what she was talking about and then it hit him. Harry grinned. "You? You beat Ron at chess?" He said disbelievingly. 

            Hermione pretended to look indignant for a moment, but she could not wipe the smile off of her face. She smacked Harry on the shoulder in a brotherly fashion. "Yes, me!" Still not really thinking it true, Harry ran down the stairs into the common room to see Ron staring at a chessboard that clearly showed his king checkmated.

            _Wait a minute…did he let her win?_ Harry examined Ron's defeated face and was surprised to see that he could not really tell. "So I hear you've been beaten. Let me play you! If you're having a bad night, I want to take full advantage of it." Harry smirked.

            Ron glared ferociously, but he could not keep up the pretense for long. Soon he was grinning at his best friend. "Oy…Potter…You're worse than Hermione. I doubt you will match my skill this century, let alone this night." 

            Harry and Ron's game lasted under half an hour. Ron had beat Harry easily, and Harry was left staring at the board wondering what had happened. 

            That night, Harry lay in bed feeling happy and contented. For once, he was enjoying the simple things.  

Well Whaddya think? Was it good? Did it suck? Please review!


	17. Loss

            AN: Sorry about the last chapter being so short! This one is pretty long though! Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I really appreciate it. 

            Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Chapter 17: Loss

Harry awoke on a fine Saturday in April, feeling contented. Hurriedly, he put his quidditch robes on as he made his way outside for their practice. The game against Hufflepuff was coming up soon, a matter that Angelina did not want her team to take lightly. Harry's first thought when he walked outside was what a beautiful day it was. The sky was clear blue with a few puffy clouds dotting it here and there. There was a small breeze that ruffled his hair, making it stand on end even more than usual.

            A few minutes into the practice and Ron and Hermione came down to sit in the stands. Harry was just warming up on his Firebolt when he heard shouts on the grounds. Curious, he turned to his team members who shrugged. "Where is he?" A cold voice hissed. Harry's head snapped up. He knew that voice. Quickly, he landed, abandoned his Firebolt, and with Ron and Hermione at his heels, ran out onto the grounds as quickly as his feet would take him there.

            What he saw made him want to throw up. It was Voldemort. Tall and menacing, with slits for eyes and a serpent face that could never fail to be recognized. Behind him, like a small army, stood at least two-dozen Death Eaters. Harry gulped. Voldemort was terrorizing a pair of fourth years who had been outside enjoying the sunshine. He had not spotted Harry, Ron, and Hermione yet. "Where is your headmaster!" He shouted in the face of one of the younger students. The student trembled with fear.

            Harry turned towards the castle. He had heard rapid footsteps. Attracted by the booming shouts, no doubt, the teachers had come running onto the scene, Dumbledore in the lead. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw what had caused the disturbance. Oddly enough, he did not look alarmed, rather confident actually.

            "Tom. We meet again." Dumbledore spoke quietly, yet firmly. "What brings you here?" 

            Voldemort laughed. It was a cruel, mirthless cackle that turned Harry's blood to ice. "You think you can keep me out of Hogwarts? Do you think I fear you? Lord Voldemort fears no one! It was so easy to get inside this castle, especially with a member of your staff on my side. You might want to try harder to protect your students." 

            Harry froze. Someone in Hogwarts was helping Voldemort? He sized up the teachers and the other faculty members who had surrounded Dumbledore. Which one of them was a traitor?

            "Argus, come forward." Argus Filch stepped out of the crowd of Hogwarts staff, looking horrified. Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked on in disbelief. "You see as useless as this pathetic squib is in the ways of magic, he does make an excellent informant. At first, he was not too eager to join my ranks, so I used the Imperius Curse. Once he found out how powerful I was, he came along rather peacefully and I no longer had to keep him under the Curse." Voldemort laughed again, his eyes on Filch. "He was only too happy to point on the castle's weakest defense points. And the two cursebuilders that came along, rather unwillingly of course, pointed out the spells used to provide Hogwart's protection. After some research, it wasn't hard to find which curses would destroy the defenses. I'm afraid you left yourself rather vulnerable, Dumbledore. You trusted where you shouldn't have, you meddling fool."

            "DON"T INSULT HIM!" Hagrid shouted. He stepped in front of Dumbledore, blocking him from view. "DEAL WITH ME FIRST!" Not bothering with a wand or magic, Hagrid lunged and reached his arms out, perhaps to strangle Voldemort. Voldemort's face wore a cruel smile.

            "Perhaps I should take care of the half-wit, first." He said tauntingly, as he stepped out of Hagrid's reach. "_Avada Kedavra_!" A burst of green light shot from Voldemort's wand and Hagrid fell to the ground, eyes wide open, but body still.

            Harry gasped as he looked at the fallen body of his friend. This was Hagrid. No one could hurt him. On impulse, he ran towards the lifeless body. He bent down. "Hagrid? Hagrid? Hagrid, come on. Please? Please, Hagrid? Answer me." Tears welled up in his eyes and spilled over his cheeks. Ron and Hermione had come over too. "He's dead." Harry whispered disbelievingly. Ron and Hermione stood in shock, not knowing what to say. 

            "Harry Potter!" Voldemort had shouted.  Harry had almost forgotten he was there. Hagrid….dead. But when he had rushed to the body, he had revealed himself to the enemy. Harry looked up to the face that had caused him more pain than he had ever thought possible. "We meet again. Tell me? Who is the sacrifice of the day, hm? Was it the half-giant? Who else has to die for Harry Potter to live?" 

            Harry gulped, determined not to let it show that Voldemort's words had hit home. "Why don't you leave the boy alone? He has nothing to do with this!" A voice had called out. It was Arabella Figg.

            "On the contrary," Voldemort retorted. "He has everything to do with this. This boy. My downfall so many times and yet I can overpower him quite easily. _Crucio_!" 

            Harry's body was on fire. Every nerve, every muscle, every bone, burning. Pain like a dagger ripping him open, tearing his flesh, disemboweling him. With the distraction of pain, Harry barely noticed that the two sides had begun fighting. Pain was all that he felt. And then it stopped.

            Feeling shattered, Harry stood up weakly and assessed the situation quickly. The Death Eaters and teachers were throwing curses at each other. Some students had joined in the fighting. Forgetting the pain that had overpowered him only moments ago, Harry felt adrenaline surge through him and ran to join the fight. 

            "_Petrificus Totalus_!" He yelled at the nearest Death Eater. His body froze up and he collapsed to the ground. 

            Harry scanned the battle, looking for Ron and Hermione. His breath caught in his throat when he saw Ron, body twitching as Wormtail put the Cruciatus Curse on him. Harry raised his wand to free Ron from Wormtail, but someone beat him to it. 

            "Stupefy!" Hermione called out. Wormtail collapsed and Harry watched Hermione run to Ron to make sure he was okay. 

            Harry hurried over to Professor McGonagall who was doing her best to deal with three Death Eaters who had come at her all at once. "Wingardium Leviosa!" She shouted and levitated one of them all the way over to the lake and dropped him in. Harry stood in awe at her skill and power for a second before assisting her.

            "Stupefy!" He yelled at the Death Eater who had been raising his wand. He collapsed and Harry breathed a sigh of relief.  

            "Thank you, Mr. Potter." Professor McGonagall stated calmly, still dealing with the third Death Eater.

            Harry heard running, lots of people running. He looked up from the battle for a moment to see a wave of students joining in the fight. However, not all of them were on their side. Harry saw a seventh year Slytherin student hit Dean Thomas with "_Rictusempra_!" causing Dean to double over wheezing. 

            "_Petrificus Totalus_!" Harry heard a voice call out. The seventh year student froze and dropped like a ton of bricks. Harry looked over to see Ron, with his wand still pointed at the Slytherin. 

            Though, a lot of people were dropping from both sides, it seemed clear to Harry that they were winning. Some Death Eaters had even begun venturing away from Hogwarts, so they could get to a point where they could Apparate away. Harry thought this kind of odd, that Voldemort and his Death Eaters would show up and then run away, but perhaps that had been the purpose. Maybe he had just wanted to frighten them. 

            "_Crucio_!" Harry heard Voldemort's voice yell. For once it was not aimed at him. Harry watched, horrified, as tiny Professor Flitwick began to shake and twitch. He was too shocked to even react and try to help, but someone else had the sense to do something. 

            "_Impedimenta_!" Ron shouted. Voldemort dodged the curse, but it broke his concentration and Flitwick was relieved from the pain. 

            Harry heard Hermione shout out some spell he had never heard before and saw her aiding another student, whom Harry recognized as a Sixth year boy from Ravenclaw.  

            Though some of Voldemort's people had run away, it seemed that the fight was far from over. 

            Harry dropped to his knees to avoid getting stupefied himself, and then did a sort of roll to avoid further curses.  "_Stupefy_!" Lavender Brown yelled, taking out the student who had been after Harry. 

            Harry grinned at her as she helped him up. "Thanks." 

            She smiled. "No problem." And then noticing Parvati being tied up with a Death Eater, she hurried off to help.

            Harry looked around for a sign of his friends. Ron was helping Dumbledore, who was surrounded by Death Eaters. Hermione was assisting Seamus. Where was Ginny? He thought frantically. She had been out here…but he hadn't even seen her since quidditch practice. 

            And then he saw a flash of red. Her hair! She was laying on the ground, eyes shut and body still. He ran to her praying with all his might that she was still alive. "Ginny, Ginny!" He whispered anxiously. He felt a cool hand on his shoulder and gasped. He looked up and saw Professor Figg. He sighed with relief. "Oh, its you, you scared me."

            "Don't worry, Potter. She is only stunned. I will take her to the hospital wing." Harry nodded, gratefully. He felt so relieved. 

            He stood up, ready to get back into battle when he saw that most of it was broken up. All of the conscious Death Eaters had fled and Voldemort himself was nowhere in sight. 

            Harry looked around once again feeling pangs of worry as he scanned the area for Ron and Hermione. Finally, he found what he was looking for. _Weasley red_, he thought to himself. They were locked into a tight embrace. Both looked weary and frightened. Harry wondered for a moment if he should join them, and then decided that he had too. If he didn't go to them, he would probably burst inside from fear, anger and frustration. He had thought for a minute that he might lose his best friends. At that instant when the fighting had begun, he had thought that everyone around him would die. Of course, he shouldn't be thinking about it as though everyone had come out of it unscathed. He had lost one of his dearest friends, the person that had rescued him from a horrible life and showed him how a better path. 

            Harry walked over to Ron and Hermione. And the three embraced. All of them had tears running down their faces as they mourned for the loss of Hagrid.  

Well Whaddya think? Was it good? Did it suck? Please Review!


	18. Aftermath

AN: Sorry this took so long. Been kinda busy. I'll try to update a little faster.

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Chapter 18: Aftermath

The next week or so went by in whirl of emotion and hurt for Harry and the rest of Hogwarts. Classes had been suspended for a week so the teachers could work on the castle's defenses. Filch had not been seen since the day that Voldemort had attacked. 

            The only thing Harry could think about was Hagrid. All of the memories. Hagrid coming for him when he was 11. Visiting Hagrid in his cabin. Hagrid and baby Norbert. Hagrid and Fluffy. Hagrid…

            Harry was struck with the thought that this was a lot like what had happened last year. How had he not known what was going on? All of the clues and he had not caught on! Dumbledore had known that Voldemort was going to attack Hogwarts, he just hadn't known when or how. And now things were as tense as last year. Harry was numb. He felt like he couldn't have a good time with his friends, he couldn't devote his attention to Ginny; he was just blank. Nothing. Why should he become close with Ginny? He didn't want to risk it. What if she was hurt, just because of him?

            And the nightmares. He usually had the same one every night. He would be with Ron, Hermione, Hagrid and Ginny and Voldemort would appear. One by one, Voldemort killed his friends while Harry stood there frozen and the whole time Voldemort would be shouting, "Who is the sacrifice of the day, hm? Who else has to die for Harry Potter to live?"

            And then he would wake up in a cold sweat, suddenly remembering that his friends were in fact still alive. After temporary relief, he would remember Hagrid and Harry was lost in grief.

            Hermione and Ron were as grief stricken as he was. Harry was sure that they too, were remembering all the times that Hagrid had been there for them. It was hard…so hard to try and forget what happened and return to everyday life. However, Dumbledore had assured them that the measures would be taken to make sure that Voldemort would never find his way into the castle again. Harry trusted him, but other students were doubtful.

            When they returned to classes, Harry felt he could barely concentrate. The teachers too, seemed far off.  No one had been seriously hurt, excluding Hagrid and a few Death Eaters, but it was still a shock.

            Everything was quiet and morbid. On Saturday, Harry, Ron, and Hermione had woken early and eaten breakfast before most of the school had risen. Harry and Ron were attempting to enjoy a chess game and Hermione was reading a thick book. Everything felt so normal, yet Harry knew things would never be the same again. Ron had just checkmated Harry when Dumbledore entered the common room. 

            Harry's immediate reaction was shock. This had to mean that someone else was dead. Something else had happened. He arose from his chair and looked questioningly at Dumbledore, searching for signs of alarm. He found nothing, but a kind, withered smile. "Everything is fine, Mr. Potter. However, I must talk with you, Miss Granger, and Mr. Weasley. It is very important." 

            Intrigued and relieved, Harry, Ron, and Hermione followed Dumbledore across the familiar corridors of Hogwarts and up the stairs to his office. After being seated, Dumbledore began to explain.

            "Now I must ask you three something. But please do not feel that you must agree. You don't even have to answer now if you wish." He paused for a moment, shuffled a few pieces of parchment on his desk, and then continued. "I am going to ask you to join an organization known as The Order of the Phoenix."

            Realization dawned on Harry. He remembered hearing that name before. "We fight Voldemort, the Death Eaters, and everything they stand for. Death. Suffering. Bigotry. Prejudice." Dumbledore continued. "Fudge is not taking the right approach with his talk of a peaceful approach against Voldemort. Before you agree, know this. It will be dangerous, at times it will be frightening, and even though you three have been in danger many times before, I still want you to consider your choice carefully. 

            Harry knew right away that he wanted to be a part of this. Though he wasn't keen on being in the center of war, he knew that he already was. Now he could avenge the deaths of the people he cared about. His mother, his father, Mr. Weasley Hagrid, and even Cedric. Before he could voice this thought, Hermione spoke. "Professor, why now? Why not before?" She asked curiously.

            Dumbledore sighed. "I have been trying to avoid any younger students getting involved in this. Recent occurrences have made me see different. You are already involved in this war. There is nothing I can do about that except use it to the Light Side's advantage."

            "I'll do it." Ron said quietly and Harry knew he was thinking of his father. Dumbledore nodded gravely. 

            "Me too." Hermione stated firmly. 

            "Count me in." Harry added.

            Though he had suggested them joining in the first place, Dumbledore still looked a little weary of their decision. Harry could guess why. He didn't really want them fighting Death Eaters and Voldemort, but he knew there was no other choice. 

            "Very well." Dumbledore said. "Please sign your name on this list. Feel free to see whom the other members are. You may very well be working with them at some point." Harry took the sheet of parchment and read aloud the names for Ron and Hermione's sake.

            "Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, Severus Snape, Arabella Figg, Mundungus Fletcher, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, Molly Weasley, Bill Weasley, Charlie Weasley, Fred Weasley, George Weasley." Harry was shocked. "Fred and George are in this?"

            Dumbledore nodded. "They became members a little over a month ago."

            "What about Percy?" Ron asked. 

            Dumbledore sighed. "Your brother has sided with Fudge, which is a very different side than ours. He stands by the ministry and nothing your mother said could make a difference."

            "Even after Dad?" Ron continued. 

            Dumbledore nodded. "If anything, he became even more devoted to the ministry after your father's death. Hopefully he will come around before it is too late." 

            Harry grabbed a quill and scribbled his name under George's. He passed it to Ron, and then Hermione. They were now official members of The Order of the Phoenix.

            "Now if the three of you are needed I will come to you. Thank you." Dumbledore told them.

            When they left Dumbledore's office, Harry was filled with a new resolve. Now he could do something against Voldemort instead of just being a sitting duck. It felt good. Harry remembered the list of members. He hadn't read them out loud, but there had been two names crossed out, Arthur Weasley and Rubeus Hagrid. Maybe, by joining, he could prevent a few deaths.

            The next day, Harry, Ron, and Hermione felt the best they had since the death of Hagrid. Now that they would be taking action, it felt better to go back to normal life. Harry and Ron discussed quidditch, and Hermione nagged them about doing their homework. Things were better.

            On Monday, Harry, Ron and Hermione headed down to potions, dreading the class as they always did. They were a few minutes early, and Malfoy was waiting for them outside of the Dungeons.

            "Potter. Too bad about the half-giant, eh?" Harry's blood was boiling. Lucius Malfoy had been there…hurting people, torturing people, and all Malfoy could do was make a joke of it. Well Harry hadn't seen Draco out there, the day of the battle. So maybe Malfoy just didn't really know what death and torture were like. Harry predicted a rude awakening for Malfoy whenever he first witnessed someone die or someone being tortured. It wasn't fun; it wasn't something to laugh at. 

            Doing his best to ignore Malfoy's comment, Harry shoved past him into their classroom. Ron and Hermione followed. 

            Potions was a nightmare as usual, made even more so by Draco's constant taunting during the lesson. Snape, being Snape, said nothing and Harry had to settle for glaring at Malfoy across the dungeon. Though Snape was as cruel as ever, Harry thought he looked different somehow. Older. His eyes looked like they had been through Hell and back. And Harry was surprised that he never noticed this before. 

            He remembered seeing Snape's name on the list. Even though he knew Snape was on the Light Side, it still struck him as odd to think that they were on the same side. Snape was always so vindictive towards him…but then that was to be expected, was it not? Snape was supposed to be a Death Eater. He couldn't very well be nice to him or some slime like Malfoy would tell his father and Voldemort would find out that Snape really liked him. Even if this was true, Harry knew Snape personally, did not like him all that much anyways.

            That evening, Harry sought out Angelina. When he finally found her, she looked somber, like everyone else had the last week. "Er…Angelina? Have you talked to Dumbledore about quidditch?" He asked hopefully. He wanted, no…_needed_ quidditch for things to be normal. 

            Angelina's expression looked pained. "I'm sorry Harry. I haven't made an announcement to the team yet, but Dumbledore has ended quidditch for the year. After all, it will take some time to protect the castle again. I think the teachers have too much on their plates right now to concentrate on sports."

            Harry sighed. Though he had expected that answer, he was painfully disappointed. He knew it was selfish, but he couldn't help it. A thought struck Harry, and he felt worse for the rest of the team. It was their last year and they wouldn't be able to enjoy it. 

            After his talk with Angelina, Harry was approached by Ginny. "Harry. I have to talk to you." Harry nodded and followed her to a secluded corner of the common room. "Have you been avoiding me?" She asked quickly.

            Harry felt horrible. He had spent a little time with her a few days after the battle, just reveling in the fact that they were both alive and well. But after that he had come to the conclusion that people were better off not knowing him. He tried to express this thought to Ginny. "Ginny, I just…don't want to put you into danger." He raised his gaze from the floor and looked into her eyes.

            "Harry…" She began. "…I'm in this, just like you are. I survived Voldemort in my first year. My father died because of him. Knowing you isn't going to change anything." She smiled at that. "Well I lie. It will change things, but it will change them for the better."

            Harry knew she was right, but the thought of her in danger made him feel ill. He was determined to keep her safe, but he knew he wouldn't do that by shutting her out. "Okay. " He whispered. "I'm sorry." 

            Ginny scanned the common room quickly to make sure know one was watching them and then kissed Harry quickly on the cheek. Harry smiled. "You can't leave me hanging and expect me to do nothing, Harry Potter." She said grinning.

            Harry lay in bed that night, thinking of his conversation with Ginny. All he wanted to do now was spend as much time with her as possible. Playing chess with her, talking with her, joking with her, running his hands through her ginger hair, kissing her. Harry smiled thinking of how warm her lips felt against his. With these thoughts, he drifted off to sleep.

            A few hours after sleep had overtaken him, Harry felt himself being shook roughly. "Harry get up." He heard a voice whisper urgently. 

            Harry groped in the dark for his glasses and realized it was Ron. "Ron what is it?" He asked groggily. 

            "Dumbledore needs us."

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	19. The Fortress of Azkaban

AN: Sorry this took so long. Damn those teachers and their homework. Anyways thanks for all the reviews, I really appreciate it!

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Chapter 19: The Fortress of Azkaban

Harry sat up, suddenly alert and ready for action. He felt the adrenaline pumping through his veins as he quickly pulled on some clothes. "What is it?" He asked Ron urgently. 

            Ron shrugged as he tied his shoes. "I'm not sure. Hermione just came up here and woke me up. Said the same thing I just told you. I don't know details, but we better get going." They hurried down the steps, into the common room where Fred, George, Hermione and Dumbledore were waiting for them. "What's going on?" Ron inquired as soon as they had joined the small group. 

            Dumbledore looked at them gravely. "We are in a hurry. I will explain as soon as I can. For now you must trust me and grab onto the portkey." Harry looked down at Dumbledore's hands to see a small muggle soda can. He laid a finger on it, as did the others. After a few seconds he felt the familiar jerk behind his naval. In a moment, they arrived at their location and Harry stumbled and ended up on the ground. Someone pulled him to his feet.

            "Thanks George." Harry muttered distractedly. George nodded and Harry was surprised at the look on his face. It was dead serious. There was no sign of the usual joking and laughing and that scared Harry more than anything else. 

            Dumbledore began speaking quickly and low as if afraid of being overheard. "We are on the island that holds the fortress of Azkaban. Voldemort has come here to release the prisoners and convince the Dementors to join his ranks. On the Dark Side, the Dementors will have unlimited victims. They will most certainly want to side with Voldemort. There is a terrible battle going on. I would not have brought you into this if it had not been a most desperate situation. However, it is of the utmost importance that we stop Voldemort from getting the Dementors. Now you have the power to use any curse that you know with the exception of the Unforgiveables. I do not condone letting my students torture and kill people, no matter how evil they are. If you are injured get out of there. Now follow me." Harry took in this information very fast and was acutely aware of how hard he was breathing and how readily his heart was pounding. It felt as if it would burst right out of his chest.

            He followed Dumbledore quietly, doing his best not to make a sound. This was much more serious than trying not to be caught by a teacher. Being found would mean torture and death not detentions and a scolding. They walked through a dense patch of woods and then came to a clearing. Harry gasped when he saw the prison.

            It looked something like a castle; it even resembled Hogwarts somewhat. It was about twice as big as Hogwarts with huge towers and gaping turrets. However, the similarities ended there. The color of the prison was the darkest black Harry had ever seen and it held none of Hogwarts' shine or ancient beauty. The fortress of Azkaban felt so evil, that he could almost feel the darkness radiating off of it.

            Dumbledore turned around and began to address the group again. "Don't get separated. Try to stay within the sight of at least one person. If a Death Eater becomes incapacitated, come to me or another adult and we will take care of him or her."

            Feeling as unprepared as he had ever been in his entire life, Harry trudged closer and closer to Azkaban. And soon the signs of forceful battle came into view. The two sides were fighting each other with an intenseness that Harry had never seen. The animosity was visible on the faces of the occupants of the confrontation taking place. 

            More adrenaline surged through Harry and he suddenly felt the need to destroy. He wanted the Death Eaters to suffer for what they had done to him and his friends. Right at that moment, Harry wasn't thinking about the Wizarding world, he wasn't thinking about prejudice and attacks around the globe, his thoughts were with Hagrid, Mr. Weasley, his parents, and Cedric.

            "Harry!" He heard someone choke out. He turned and looked around wondering who was calling his name. A familiar face appeared. Harry ran towards his godfather who was currently in battle with a Death Eater whom Harry did not recognize. 

            "_Stupefy_!" He yelled, and the Death Eater, who had been caught off guard by Harry's sudden appearance, fell to the ground. 

            Sirius's weary face contorted into a grin despite the circumstances. "Thanks. I'll take care of him.  Go and help someone else. Be safe Harry." 

            Harry nodded and raced towards the edge of the prison grounds where he found Fred and George battling Lucius Malfoy. "_Crucio_!" He heard Lucius drawl. 

            Fred dropped, twitching and screaming. George stared for a moment in frightened awe, but his face changed from terrified to determined in the blink of an eye. "_Wingardium Leviosa_!" He yelled fiercely. Lucius Malfoy rose about twenty feet, and in the process the curse on Fred was broken. However, George could not hold Malfoy for long and he soon came tumbling to the ground. He landed in a crumpled heap and appeared to be unconscious. Harry was not taking chances. 

            "_Stupefy_!" He screamed. Alarmed, and unaware of his presence, George turned quickly towards Harry, wand poised. Fred lay on the ground, still gasping for every breath. George looked at Harry questioningly. "Just in case he wasn't knocked out." Harry muttered.

            George nodded as he helped Fred to his feet. "Ow. That hurt." Fred said quietly, attempting a smile. The grin did not reach his eyes. 

            Harry wandered over towards the center of the battle, hoping he wasn't being targeted. He had not seen Ron and Hermione since the conflict had begun and he was eager to find them. A few minutes later he was beginning to grow anxious. What if they were hurt? Or worse….he didn't even want to think about it. They were the only family he had left. Suddenly, he heard a shout from behind him. "_Imperio_!"

            He felt the warm feeling of all of his worries being wiped away. _Raise your wand_, a voice in his head commanded. Harry could already feel himself resisting. _No, I will not_, he answered the voice. _Raise your wand_, the voice ordered, more firmly this time. "I WILL NOT!" Harry yelled aloud. He wheeled around to see Wormtail, who wore an expression of malice. 

            "Potter. We meet again. So you won't submit yourself to Imperious? Well then let's see what you think of this one." Harry tried to dodge the curse that came bursting out of Wormtail's wand, but he did not succeed. He had not even heard the word that had been muttered quietly by Peter under his breath. His head was pounding and he felt like the ground was spinning. And a second later everything went black.  

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	20. Lost in Confusion

AN: Thanks for the reviews! I appreciate it!

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Chapter 20: Lost in Confusion

Harry regained consciousness and found himself blanketed in darkness. For a moment, he couldn't remember what had happened to him, or where he was supposed to be. He tried to move his arms, but was surprised to find that he couldn't. His arms and legs were tied to the chair he was sitting in. His scar ached. "Where am I?" He muttered to the empty room. He was certainly not expecting an answer. 

            "Awake at last, Mr. Potter?" Harry's heart almost burst out of his chest in surprise. There was someone else in the room with him, but who?

            "Where am I?" He asked again, this time waiting for a reply. 

            A laugh came from a corner of the room. "That I cannot reveal to you, but know that you are in good hands." At these words, Harry recognized the familiar drawl. It was a little deeper than Draco's, but Lucius Malfoy's voice was almost identical to his son's. Harry chose not to ask any further answers, for he was sure that he would not like the answers, but Lucius Malfoy was happy to volunteer information. "Your friends did not succeed, Mr. Potter. The Dark Lord has the Dementors in his power. I'm afraid it's only a matter of time before everyone is under his control. He should be here shortly; very pleased, he was, about your arrival." Harry opted not to reply to this declaration. Though the room was still enveloped in blackness, Harry was sure that Lucius was smirking.

            The two stayed silent for a few moments. Harry was lost in thought of his friends. Did Lucius Malfoy speak the truth? Had they really failed?  Would Voldemort be taking over everywhere? And what of his friends? Where were Ron and Hermione? Were they safe? And Sirius, Dumbledore, Fred, and George? The list went on and on. Harry prayed for their safety.

            Suddenly, Harry's thoughts were interrupted by a creaking noise from behind him. The door. Someone was entering the room. "Lucius? How is our prisoner?" Harry's blood ran cold. He knew who that hiss belonged to. His scar was almost exploding with a throbbing pain. Harry's eyes watered. Lord Voldemort finally had him cornered. There was no way out and Harry pretty sure that his luck was running thin.

            "_Litencia_!" Harry heard Lucius Malfoy murmur. And suddenly the torches outlining the small room were lit. He blinked rapidly, readjusting his eyes to the sudden brightness of the room. The room had no windows. The walls were covered with fading wallpaper, and the only piece of furniture in the little area was the hard, uncomfortable chair he was sitting in. 

            "Lucius, your arm." Voldemort commanded. Harry watched as Voldemort performed the same task he had done with Wormtail the year before to summon the Death Eaters. They stayed silent, waiting for the Death Eaters to appear. Harry was surprised that Voldemort wasn't taunting him as he usually did. Perhaps Voldemort was not as confident as he had been in previous years? Maybe he just wanted to kill Harry without ceremony to get it over with.

            One by one, the Death Eaters appeared. Crabbe. Goyle. McNair. Wormtail. Harry almost gasped in surprise when the next person appeared. Barty Crouch Jr.? He was supposed to be soulless, wandering around somewhere. Why was he here? Harry looked on, confused as even more people appeared. A man and woman, whom he did not recognize. Finally Voldemort began to speak.

            "My Death Eaters. I'm happy you could make it today. For, Mr. Potter has decided to join us and this time there is nowhere for him to escape." He sneered in Harry's direction. "But first I will present two people who have not been with us for quite some time. The Lestranges! They were faithful to me, serving their time in Azkaban. They knew I would come and break them out, and here they are today." He roared. And Harry realized he was pointing to the man and woman whom he had not been able to identify. _So it is true_, he thought to himself. _The Death Eaters did win and the Dementors and prisoners are loose._

            "Now, I will take care of Mr. Potter." Voldemort raised his wand to perform the deadly curse that would end his life. Harry struggled with his restraints for a few seconds, but then realized it was useless; he would die. Things flashed before his eyes. He would never get to see Ron or Hermione again. They would have to rely on each other for strength. Sirius would no longer have a godson. Hopefully, he could gain some comfort from the company of Professor Lupin. 

            And Ginny. He would never get to hold her again. To run his hands through her hair, just listening to the sweet sound of her laughter. To his surprise, it was the thought of Ginny that triggered tears. His eyes watered, and he desperately tried to hold them back. He wished he could kiss her one last time. 

            "_Avada Ked_-" He began, but something happened. He stopped speaking. Harry opened his eyes and saw Voldemort on the ground, struggling to get up. "Get him!" Voldemort shouted. 

            Harry thought Voldemort was talking about him, but apparently not, because the Death Eaters began fighting one of their own. Barty Crouch Jr. "_Releasio_!" Barty shouted, and suddenly Harry felt himself free of his restraints. As quickly as he could, he dove from his seat and rolled on the ground to dodge any curses that might be coming his way. But not one person was paying attention to him. They were all going after Barty Crouch Jr., the traitor. 

            Silently, Harry crawled, making his way towards the door. He felt something hit him rather hard on the shoulder, and despite his urgency to leave the place; he looked behind him. It was an old, deflated football. Wondering what the possible significance of the object could be he reached for it. "_Avada Kedavra_!" Voldemort hissed. Harry waited for the green light to hit him, and sweep life from his body. But it didn't come. Voldemort had not been aiming for him, but Barty Crouch Jr. and it had gone on target. Barty lay on the ground, eyes wide, not breathing. 

            Harry stopped in mid-reach and stared at the person who had helped him, still not understanding what was going on, but feeling saddened nonetheless. Voldemort's words from Hogwarts rang in his ears once more, _"Who is the sacrifice of the day? Who else has to die for Harry Potter to live?" _

            "Get Potter!" A voice shouted, breaking Harry out of his reverie. He made a lunge for the deflated football, and finally got his hands on the round object. He felt a tug behind his naval and suddenly he found himself on the Hogwarts grounds. _A portkey, of course_. Harry thought to himself. _How could he not have known? Well that worrying about being killed probably had something to do with it_, he thought wryly. But how had Barty Crouch Jr., gotten a portkey to Hogwarts and what was going on with him anyway? He was supposed to be gone. Perhaps Voldemort had figured out a way to reverse the Dementor's Kiss?

            Harry, heart still racing and adrenaline still pumping from the confrontation, raised himself from the ground and took off towards the castle. He had one person on his mind. He did not stop sprinting until he reached Gryffindor tower. He gave the password and entered frantically scanning the room for the person he was searching for. Everyone else had stood and exclaimed at his arrival. Harry barely even noticed.

            He had caught sight of Ginny, and she was more beautiful than ever. He stopped for a second, and stared at her. He had thought he would never see her again and here she was before him, eyes wet with tears, but a smile on her face now that he had arrived. Harry couldn't wait a second longer to hold her in his arms. He rushed over to her and hugged her, as tight as he could. He never wanted to let go. He breathed in the scent of her hair and ran his hands through it, unaware and uncaring of everyone else watching. "I thought I would never see you again." He muttered in her ear. 

            "Shh. It's okay. You're alive and we're together." Though she was reassuring him, Harry could tell she had been scared of the same thing. 

            "I love you." Harry whispered, barely believing his words. He couldn't help it. The time for putting things off was over.  He had been so close to dying, dying before she knew that he loved her. Ginny looked at him for a long moment, astonished. 

            "I love you too." She stated finally. They stayed in a tight embrace for a long time, only separating when someone mentioned Ron and Hermione in the hospital wing. "I think it would be better if we go to Dumbledore, before we visit Ron and Hermione. Ron's okay, just a little beat up, and Hermione's sitting with him." Ginny suggested. 

            Harry shook his head fiercely. He didn't feel like going through the night, all the intricate details, and figuring out mysteries. He wanted to see his friends. "Can't we go see Ron and Hermione first?" His emerald eyes pleaded with her. 

            She sighed, defeated. "Fine. But if Dumbledore yells at you later, I can tell him I tried to get you to go."

            Hand-in-hand they made their way to the hospital wing. They did not encounter any teachers on their way and Harry was glad. They would have questioned him and taken him off to Dumbledore, for more questioning no doubt. When they appeared in the doorway of the hospital wing, Ron, who was facing them, let out a shout of surprise. "Harry!" 

            Hermione turned around as fast as she was able to and ran to him, arms outstretched. "Harry, I'm so happy you're safe. How did you get here? Did you see Dumbledore yet?" She suddenly took on a stern appearance.

            "No, I haven't seen Dumbledore yet. I wanted to see the people I care about most, first." He said pointedly. He was surprised at the sentiments coming out of his mouth, but maybe this near death experience was just one too many. He didn't want to waste any more time on stupid things. He wanted to let them know that he cared. 

            "Well I guess I can't argue with that." Hermione said, smiling. "I'm so glad your safe." She hugged him again and Harry embraced her as well, though somewhat awkwardly. 

            Ron and Harry looked at each other for a second, before Ron grinned widely. "Harry." He said with a nod.

            Harry grinned too. "Ron." There was no hugging, but enough emotion was packed into those two words. They knew what their friendship meant and they didn't have to say everything aloud. 

            Hermione rolled her eyes at the pair, obviously wondering how they could not be shouting and hugging as she had been doing moments before. 

            Suddenly Madam Pomfrey, who had been searching for a salve for Ron, entered the room, obviously startled by the commotion. Her jaw dropped when she saw Harry.

            "Mr. Potter! You're safe." The shock wore off in a matter of seconds and she began checking him up and down for anything that needed medical attention. "Bruises on your elbows. Cuts on your legs." She muttered, and went bustling into cupboards, searching for a particular ointment.

            "So Harry?" Ron asked. "What did happen?" He was looking at Harry curiously. They all were. 

            He sighed. "I want to wait until Dumbledore comes, and then I can just tell it to all of you." 

            There was an instant uproar at his words. "You haven't been to see Dumbledore, yet?" Madam Pomfrey shouted incredulously, clucking her tongue disapprovingly. "Go now!"

            "Can't I stay here?" Harry pleaded with her. He didn't want to be away from his friends at that moment. 

            The nurse must have seen the saddened and deadened look in his eyes, because for once she gave in. "Very well." She whispered. "I'll get Dumbledore to come to you." With that she left the room, muttering about students doing dangerous things, and then not even going to a teacher.

            After the happy reunion with his friends, Harry found himself puzzling over the events of the night. Why was Barty Crouch Jr. there? Why did he help him? Though he was extremely happy to alive and with his friends, Harry was lost in confusion.

Well Whaddya think? Was it good? Did it suck? Please review!


	21. The Greatest Weapons

AN: I'm sorry this took so long! The computer has been down since I posted the last chapter and I had to delete my beloved Napster and Imesh just to be able to open Microsoft Word! Hopefully (if this damn computer doesn't screw me over again) I'll be updating a lot quicker. Only a few more chapters to go before the story is over! Enjoy!

Chapter 21: The Greatest Weapons

When Dumbledore walked into the hospital wing, Harry sighed in relief. He was ready to know what was going on. The headmaster's eyes looked oddly devoid of lightheartedness as he sat down in a chair next to Harry.

            "Harry, please tell me what happened tonight." He stated calmly.

            Harry nodded and told him everything he could remember since he awoke from an unconscious state. He talked about the small room, Lucius Malfoy, the Death Eaters, and Barty Crouch Jr. Dumbledore did not seem as puzzled as Harry was by Crouch's appearance. He recalled Voldemort's words of how they had failed. He told Dumbledore how Crouch had freed him from his restraints, and then given him a portkey to Hogwarts, ultimately saving his life. When he came to the part of Crouch's death, Dumbledore's seemed to be alarmed, but the headmaster did not speak until Harry was finished. 

            "Harry, Ron, Hermione," He said curtly, looking at each of them in turn. Harry was surprised to see tears welling up in Dumbledore's eyes, but they did not spill over. "Barty Crouch Jr. was not who he seemed to be. Immediately after Voldemort's rebirth last year, I knew that I had to find someone to be my information source, an undercover spy, if you will. I needed someone who could perform the job well and someone who would not be too obvious. During Voldemort's last reign, Severus Snape had been the main spy after he turned to The Light Side. Well if it's not broke, don't fix it, I always say. I wanted Severus in there, but Voldemort already knew he was a traitor."

            Hermione let out a gasp of surprise. Harry looked at her confused, as he wasn't really sure where Dumbledore's story was leading. Ron gave Harry a puzzled expression. He, too, seemed to be clueless. Hermione obviously had figured out what was going on.

            Dumbledore nodded in response to Hermione's shocked expression. "Severus took Polyjuice Potion and adopted the appearance of Barty Crouch Jr."

            Harry looked at Dumbledore in awe. He was at a loss for words. Snape saved his life? Snape died for him? How could that be?

            Dumbledore continued speaking softly. "Do you recall last year, Mr. Potter. When I told Severus that he knew what he must do?"

            Harry nodded silently, still too shocked to speak. "Well we had both reached the same conclusion, rather quickly, that he had to become Crouch. After all, Voldemort was not aware of what the Dementors had done to him. Well, Severus went off to brew the Polyjuice Potion, that very night. To this day, I am still amazed that he knew exactly what I was thinking. He was prepared for the duty. Severus Snape was a very brave man."

            Though Dumbledore always seemed to be radiating strength, Harry could feel his sadness at that moment. The headmaster had been very close with Snape and now Snape was gone. Harry's mind had still failed to grasp the idea that Snape had died for him to live.

            Dumbledore clapped Harry on the shoulder, before getting up and preparing to exit the room.

            Harry suddenly remembered something and shouted, "Wait! Professor, you never told me! Did the Death Eaters win? Are the Dementors under their control? I know they released the prisoners, because the Lestranges were there tonight, but the Dementors are still at Azkaban, right?"

            Dumbledore looked at Harry for a long moment. He didn't appear full of energy. His face looked ragged and weary. His eyes appeared tired and empty. "Harry I'm afraid that Voldemort has overcome that particular obstacle. We lost. The Dementors are loose and will fight for him from this point on. The three of you fought well and bravely, and I thank you for that. Now get some rest." He disappeared into the winding corridors of Hogwarts leaving Harry stunned.

            "Can you imagine what's going to happen now that he has those things on his side?" Harry whispered to his friends. "He's been near impossible to stop, but with the Dementors we don't stand a chance." He tugged at his hair, worried for the safety of his friends and the entire Wizarding population. No one said anything for a long moment, but Harry calmed down considerably when Ginny took his hand into hers.

            "You're wrong Harry." Harry looked up to see Ron staring down at him, with an unusually serious expression adorning his normally cheerful features. "We do stand a chance. Voldemort and everyone who follows him is evil. They don't have the same advantages that we have."

            Harry looked at him disbelievingly. "The only advantage I see here belongs to them. They have Dementors that feed off of despair, and we don't know how to destroy them. How can you be so optimistic?" In a way Harry admired Ron's sense to look for the positive, but when it came to Voldemort, it wouldn't do to think like that. They had to think realistically. 

            "We have weapons that Voldemort and his Death Eaters can only dream of." He responded cryptically.

            "Yeah, and what are they?" Harry could not tell where Ron was coming from, or where this conversation was leading.

            "Friendship. Loyalty." Ron began. He paused for a moment and looked at Hermione with a half smile on his face. "Love." He whispered finally. "Don't you understand? It's not going to be some death-obsessed monsters that end this war. It's going to take weapons of the soul and I'm sure that that's the only way it will happen."

            Harry nodded, feeling somewhat speechless at Ron's words. He was right of course. "You're right." He grinned at Ron; surprised he could still do such a thing after the year they had had. 

            Madam Pomfrey suddenly came in, interrupting their conversation. "The three of you better stay here for now. It won't do to have you running about the castle, when you have obviously been through a horrible ordeal." 

            Harry nodded and changed into some pajamas that Madam Pomfrey had handed to him. He lay down in a cot, suddenly feeling tired beyond belief. Ginny sat beside him. "Madam Pomfrey said I could stay here for awhile," she whispered gently. 

            Harry shook his head, not wanting her to waste her time sitting at the hospital wing. "I'll be fine. Just need some sleep." He said groggily. "You go down to Gryffindor and relax."

            Ginny smiled. "Harry Potter, you couldn't get rid of me right now if you paid me a hundred galleons."

            Harry smiled back at her, realizing he didn't want her going anywhere. He nodded in understanding and soon found himself drifting off to sleep. 

~*~*~

            _Harry struggled to move, but realized there was no way he could. His arms, legs, and head were frozen, facing forward; He tried not to concentrate on the scene in front of him, but was unable to look away. _

_            Voldemort was standing in the middle of a circle of Death Eaters, who were cheering him on exuberantly. One by one, Voldemort killed the people he cared about. He watched as His parents, Hagrid and Mr. Weasley were murdered by Avada Kedavra. _

_            Then he came to Severus Snape. Snape looked into Harry's eyes and Harry saw neither hatred nor evil, but pain and suffering. He did not want Snape to die, especially not for him. But it was too late for him to tell Snape how he really felt. Too late to thank Snape for saving his life during  first year and yet again this year. Too late. "Avada Kedavra!" Voldemort yelled, and Severus Snape's body joined the others on the ground. _

_            Voldemort began to laugh, a high cruel cackle. He looked Harry dead in the eye. Harry felt immeasurable pain in his scar as he looked into the serpent-like eyes of the murderer of so many people he cared about. "Who is the sacrifice of the day? Who else has to die for Harry Potter to live?" He hissed, and Harry knew that everything he said was true. Unable to keep it inside any longer, Harry screamed in rage, sadness, and guilt._

~*~*~

            "Harry! Wake up! C'mon!" Harry's eyes flew open. It was all a dream, just a dream, or rather a nightmare. A true nightmare. All true. Ginny was standing above him, looking rather frightened.  "Are you okay?" She asked, breathing heavily. "You've been screaming for a couple minutes. I couldn't get you to wake up. Nightmare?"

            Harry nodded and reached for the glass of water that Ginny had provided. "Thanks" He mumbled after taking a sip. 

            "Been there." She whispered, showing a bit of vulnerability that she rarely allowed others to witness. "Do you want to talk about it? Sometimes it helps me." She gave him an encouraging smile, but Harry noticed it did not reach her eyes. She seemed depressed and Harry knew she was thinking of her own experiences with Voldemort.

            "I'm not sure I want to put you through it." He whispered truthfully. "It's really horrible."

            "Well, why don't we both share our nightmares? I'm sure you can help me too." Ginny said, and Harry realized that she was probably right. "Ron and Hermione already went back to Gryffindor. There's no one here except for you and me. We can talk now, if you'd like."

            Harry nodded and began to tell her of his dream.

AN: More Ginny/Harry interaction to come in the next chapter. I plan to show the discussion they have about their Voldemort problems. Please review!


	22. Resolution

           AN: To all of you who are wishing for more H/G interaction, here it is! Thanks for the reviews guys; I really appreciate it. It means a lot to me that you take time to review. If you want me to read one of your stories, simply state so in the review! This is the last chapter. Probably a short epilogue to come.

          Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Chapter 22: Resolution

           Harry nervously looked at Ginny. He couldn't tell her…what if she thought he was horrible? But something about the encouraging smile on her face made him see that he had to go forward. 

           "Well I'm looking at the Death Eaters and Voldemort. I try to look away, but I can't. I try to run, but my legs won't work. And then…" Harry looked at Ginny, who was listening intently, hoping that his dream would not make bad memories resurface. "And then I watch Voldemort murder my parents, Cedric, your Dad, and Hagrid. After that he looks right at me. My scar is burning so bad by then that I just want to fall over, but I can't.  Then Voldemort says what he told me when he broke into Hogwarts. 'Who is the sacrifice of the day? Who else has to die for Harry Potter to live?'" He broke off, unable to speak anymore. He felt like he was drowning in bad memories. 

          "Oh, Harry." Ginny whispered, eyes wet with tears. She leaned towards him and ran a finger over the scar on his forehead. Harry closed his eyes, shivering at her touch. After a brief second he felt warm pressure on his scar. He opened his eyes and saw Ginny's lips pressed against his forehead. "I've been wanting to do that since I was 10 years old," She said, giggling softly and wiping tears from her eyes. 

           Harry smiled at her and wiped a tear from her cheek. "Don't cry. I can't stand to see it. I shouldn't have told you that dream. I didn't want to bring back those things. I'm sorry." 

            Ginny chuckled again and looked up at him seriously. "Harry, I'm crying because I'm so happy. You mean so much to me and I'm glad you got that dream off of your chest. Besides you have to hear this. It wasn't your fault, Harry." He was looking down at the ground, his heart filled with shame. She was wrong; it was his fault. The people in his dream would still be alive if he had never existed. Ginny cupped his chin in her hand and made him face her. "Harry, it wasn't your fault." She repeated.

             Harry nodded, though he wasn't sure he believed her yet. "None of those things were your fault." He looked at her, amazed that she had seen through him so clearly. Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes, and he struggled to keep them under control.  

             "It wasn't your fault." She murmured again with the most sincerity Harry had ever heard in his entire life. He still couldn't believe her and he was starting to become angry and impatient.

             "Okay!" He yelled, afraid that if she continued, he would break down altogether.

             "It wasn't your fault, Harry." He could take it no more.. Tears spilled over his cheeks and Ginny embraced him. He sobbed into her shoulder relentlessly, unable to bear the weight of being Harry Potter any longer. 

              Over a half and hour later, they finally broke apart. Harry felt a tad embarrassed at his sudden outpour of feelings, but he also felt cleansed as well. It was as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, and he was grateful, so grateful, that he had Ginny.

              After they had calmed down quite a bit, Harry knew that he had to help Ginny overcome the dreams that haunted her. "Ginny?" He said softly.

            "Yes?" She whispered back so quietly that Harry was almost unable to hear her. 

            "Please tell me your dream." He spoke firmly, but sincerely. He wanted to help her, but he also knew how hard it was to just let your emotions run wild. 

             Ginny nodded, but it was awhile before she began to speak. "I always have the same nightmare, almost every single night." She took a deep breath, and by the pensive emotional expression on her face, Harry guessed she was gathering her thoughts. "I see myself, I'm watching me. I have this grin on my face and I'm writing in the d-diary." Her voice shook, and her chin trembled as she spoke. "I can see what I'm writing. All these s-stupid things. I wrote about you, and how my brothers were m-mean to me. And Tom…he responded back with compassion. And I watch as I take the bait for Voldemort's trap." Ginny stopped to wipe a few tears from her eyes, before continuing. "I don't suspect anything. I just take in everything he says, just like it happened. I don't actually attack or hurt anyone, but I have to watch as I betray everyone I love by pouring my heart and soul into this evil stranger. And it hurts to watch, Harry. It really does, because I know how easily I was tricked."

             She finished the last sentence in a rush before she could no longer take it. She broke down, just as Harry did, though she did not need as much prodding. Harry whispered words of comfort in her ear, just as she did for him, and they held their embrace for a long time, neither wanting the moment to end. "I love you." Ginny stated at last, kissing him on the cheek.

             Harry responded by holding her even tighter. There was no way he was going to be able to let her go. "I love you too." He whispered. "And I'll always be here for you." Both of their lives had been filled with so much pain and loss that Harry felt the need to add on that he was not going anywhere. After all, he sometimes found that he could no longer have trust in people; that he wasn't sure they would always be there for him.

              Ginny looked up at him and Harry found himself unable to look away from her warm chocolate eyes. "I'm never going to leave you, either." She said into his ear. Her breath tickled his neck and he closed his eyes for a moment, enjoying the sensation. He was very glad that no one else was in the Hospital Wing, because he needed to kiss her.

              Their lips met and Harry had the distinct impression that he was under a Cheering Charm. His breath mixed with hers, and he felt heated from the inside. The kiss felt like none other they had had so far, and Harry knew that the things they had shared with each other would alter their relationship forever. 

             They would always be together; there was no doubt about that now. Harry also knew that no one, but Ginny, could understand him. They had shared many of the same experiences and it comforted him to know he was not the only one out there that had survived Lord Voldemort.

              "Harry we can't keep this up. Madam Pomfrey is bound to come in here any minute to check on you." Ginny said, breaking their connection. Harry groaned, but sat up nonetheless. 

            A minute later, Madam Pomfrey came bustling in, and Ginny sent him a knowing look. "How are you feeling Mr. Potter?" She asked, not waiting for an answer before she began checking his bruises and cuts to make sure he had healed. "Dumbledore says you may return to Gryffindor Tower." 

              The day went by rather quickly, and it was the most normal day Harry had experienced in a long time. Hermione fretted about their exams being so close and urged them all to follow a study schedule as she did. Ron pretended to be annoyed, but Harry caught them kissing outside the portrait hole, not even an hour later. Much blushing had been done by Ron and Hermione, while Harry had smirked at the two, and mocked Hermione about abandoning Prefect duties for more "enjoyable activities." 

              That night, Harry thought of Ginny and how remarkable she really was. He wondered how he had failed to notice her in previous years, but did not dwell on this. After all, he had finally cottoned on. He slept peacefully that night, dreaming of quidditch and a certain redheaded girl. No longer was he haunted by visions of Voldemort, and he hoped this would stay permanent. 

              Across the tower, Ginny dreamt of what it was like to kiss Harry Potter. She had dreamed of this many times in her youth, but now she truly knew what it felt like. She, too, remained free of nightmares, and Tom Riddle taunted her no longer.

Since some people are not inspired to review

I have composed a little poem for you

I enjoy feedback, whether good or bad

It makes me feel very giddy and glad

So everyone, please review today

And we'll all have a wonderful day!


	23. Epilogue

            AN: This is just a short little epilogue that I thought was necessary. So this is the end…thanks for following my story and thanks for the reviews! Very much appreciated! I was thinking of doing a 6th year fic to follow this one. If you like this idea, please state so in a review! Thanks again guys! 

Epilogue

Harry fidgeted in his seat uncomfortably, unsure if he was ready for what was about to happen. He knew that he had to speak. He owed it to Hagrid really. It had been two weeks since he had left his 5th year at Hogwarts. Those last 14 days had been the happiest he'd had all year. Though studying for exams had taken up a large portion of his time, it wasn't too bad when he studied with Ginny. Harry smiled; despite of the situation he was currently in. He had been amazed that he had passed all his subjects. Ron, too, had done fairly well. Hermione, of course, had finished at the top of their class. Ginny, had done remarkably well, and Harry wondered how she dealt with the stress of things so admirably.

            Ginny shifted in the seat next to him. "Are you okay?" She whispered softly, shattering the intense silence that had surrounded them for the last fifteen minutes. Harry nodded, feeling too choked up to speak. Ginny seemed to understand and did not question him further. Instead she offered an encouraging smile, and Harry felt stronger.

            Harry stared straight ahead, waiting for the ceremony to begin. Soon Albus Dumbledore, walked purposefully to the podium. He looked saddened and yet collected somehow. He took a slow breath and began to speak. "Hagrid was always like a son to me. When his father died, I took it upon myself to care for him. He was always brave, gentle, and loyal to the end." Dumbledore paused and smiled with a faraway look in his normally bright eyes. "Hagrid," He murmured so low that Harry could barely hear him. "You will always be my son." Harry studied Dumbledore for a moment, as the old man finished his short speech. His eyes had welled up with tears and he waved a hand at Harry, summoning him to the podium.

            Harry stood uncertainly, determined to make his tribute to Hagrid the best he could. He raked a hand through his all-ready untidy hair and spoke in a trembling voice. "Hagrid was my family, and he was a friend." Tears sprang into his own eyes as a now-distant memory played back in his head. Forgetting what he had practiced for days on end, Harry let his instincts take over. "He rescued me from a horrible home life and showed me what I really was." Harry smiled serenely. "I'll always remember you, Hagrid. Thanks….for everything." His voice shook as he finished. 

            Harry sat back down in the sturdy chair, next to Ginny and found her hand in his. He sighed, contented for the moment and barely heard a word as others stood and spoke of their experiences with Hagrid. He was reliving his own memories.  Hagrid had always been there for him, and Harry knew he would always remember him.

            The rest of the day was a blur, but Hagrid's memorial service had been a success to Harry. He had remembered good times with Hagrid and he had let go. That night, he headed back to the Burrow, where he was enjoying his summer for once. Dumbledore had finally let the Weasley's take him straight home from Hogwarts and Harry was very grateful. Though Harry's fifth year had been marked with death and loss, the end of the year had brought hope and even a little happiness. Like a phoenix, Harry Potter had been reborn from his own ashes.

Well….last call for reviews! 


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